What Can I Do If My Dog Won’t Eat Kibble?

Many dogs won’t eat if they’re not feeling well, especially if they’re suffering from intestinal or dental issues, so you should visit your veterinarian to make sure nothing’s wrong. But if your dog eats other kinds of food (like wet food or snacks) and refuses to touch his dry food, it may mean he’s a picky eater.

If a healthy dog is refusing to eat it is likely they are being deliberately picky. Dogs are very capable of strategic manipulation. They are trying to get you to give them something they want. They will not starve themselves but will hold out for as long as possible.

1. Change Up Meal Times. While it may seem counter-intuitive, one strategy to take is to make meals as boring as possible if your dog isn’t eating because they want attention or more enticing food.
2. Limit Meals.
3. Decrease Volume.

Most healthy dogs can go up to five days without food, though that number is only true if your pet is still drinking plenty of water. Some can even go up to seven days without, though you should never let things get that far without taking your dog to the vet.

If your dog hasn’t eaten in two days, you can try using a syringe to feed your dog liquids like broth or watered down wet food. We recommend visiting with or speaking to a vet before attempting this as it needs to be done right or it can have negative health effects on your pet.

Hyperpigmentation is a darkening and thickening of the skin seen in dogs. It is not a specific disease but a reaction of a dog’s body to certain conditions. Hyperpigmentation appears as light-brown-to-black, velvety, rough areas of thickened, often hairless skin. The usual sites are in the legs and groin area.

Yeast infections can occur anywhere on a dog’s skin, including the belly. They are often seen in areas that are moist, such as in skin folds, especially in “wrinkly” dog breeds. The affected skin may be red, irritated, itchy, greasy, or flaky, and there may be hair loss.

The most common cause of the change in skin color on a dog’s belly is hyperpigmentation, which simply means a darkening of the skin. This is often more dramatic in dogs with light skin and fur.

Symptoms of Black Skin Disease in Dogs Gradual loss of hair’s color and lushness. Gradual and symmetrical loss of the guard hairs. Increasingly cottony undercoat that is dry. Symmetrical baldness.

The bruising you are seeing on your dog’s belly may be a sign of a clotting disorder. The causes of clotting disorders can be something the dog is born with (although you probably would have seen signs earlier in her life if this was the case), or it can be secondary to something your dog was exposed to.

Hyperpigmentation is a condition in which the skin color has become darker than normal. In dogs, various changes in skin color or fur color around the abdominal area can be a normal occurrence. Unfortunately, some causes of hyperpigmentation can indicate a serious health issue, such as canine hyperthyroidism.

Generally, coat texture changes with age, so you might start to notice that the texture of your dog’s fur is different than it used to be. Also, gray dogs might start to turn more white than gray as they age.

Thyroid disease is a relatively common problem in dogs….Here are some of the more common symptoms:

• Lethargy.
• Exercise intolerance.
• Mental dullness.
• Weight gain without a change in appetite.
• Obesity.
• Cold intolerance.
• Changes in coat and skin, like increased shedding, hair thinning, and hair loss.
• Thickening of the skin.