Not eating, could it be constipation?
 

LouisBear has not been eating all of his food for about 3 days now. he'll eat at the end of the day when he's starving. He tries to eat grass on his walks, and yesterday he had runny stool. He'll drink water and sniff his food and then walk away. After his food is served I'll put it away after about half an hour.

Please let me know if there is anything I could do to help. We have a funeral to go to today and tomorrow and this past week has been hectic. I just hope that my Bear isn't too ill. :unlove:

Thanks!

What do you mean, " he's not eating all of his food?" You do know that appetites vary and some days they eat more than others, right? How much food is he eating? Some dogs do only eat once a day, but it does sound like he's having a problem if he has runny stools. I would discourage the eating of grass, many people use fertilizers, weed killers and bug sprays, and that could also cause a problem. What are you feeding him, and how old is he? Joey went through a period of extreme fussiness with food that first year.

He has eaten consistently for the 3 years we've had him. He is given a 1/4 cup TWICE a day (1/2 cup a day). We feed him Royal Canin. and the grass eating was not allowed, it was just an observation, I know that dogs eat grass when they have stomach problems, it's a natural instinct for them to do so.

When was the last time he had a BM? What kind of treats do you give? Has there been any vomiting? I feed Joey RC too, and I can't seem to find a food that he does any better on. I don't think the RC is causing the problem, but you never know. With constipation I always worry about an intestinal obstruction. Let's say they ate a raw hide, and a small piece didn't digest, this could cause an obstruction, but probably there would be no appetite. Joey's never had constipation, so I haven't had to treat it, but I have read others say canned pumpkin works well, some also have suggested mineral oil, but that's more aggressive. Is it possible that he ate something other than his food? If not, he may be having a problem with the food.

No vomitting, last night he had a small hard BM which would mke two for yesterday. He's just not eating. We give him chicken treats, that we've used for years. I have some sweet potatoes I can bake for him and give him a bit. The not eating part is what's killing me. thanks!

When people say "not eating" it has so many meanings. Sometimes they mean not eating as much as usual, and sometimes they mean not at all. There could have been something that upset his tummy, and he may even associate his food with that, or perhaps the supplements or treats are filling him up enough that he doesn't want his food. Loss of appetite is a serious symptom, and sometimes the only symptom of pain. Joey had an eye ulceration that wasn't even noticeable, but he didn't eat, and I knew something was wrong. The sweet potatoes sound like a good idea, along with a little chicken. Joey's BM's are always fairly small and firm, but if there is a change, that is something you might want to tell the vet about. I'm sure you'll get some better answers, I'm still learning about all this too. I hope you find the solution.

Funny...Nancy1999 and I have had this same conversation as I too have a dog that eats great for 2 or three days, and then decides not to eat for a day or two. My Sophie does this all the time. The last three days she ate both her 1/4 cup serving of RC and now today at this time she hasn't touched one kibble. At 4:00 PM, I'll replace the food with fresh and then maybe add a little Pet Botanics Organic chicken & rice. Just to see if I can stimulate her appetite. Sometimes it works and she'll clean her bowl and other times she'll wait till around 8:00 and eat. I find her appetite goes with her activity level. This morning she was in her expen from 7:30 - 12:00 because no one was home. Now my daughter will get home around 1:30 and Sophie will be out for the remainder of the day/evening. I suspect she will eat her evening kibble. Only you can tell if your dog is sick. If you feel that something just isn't right, then call the Vet. Otherwise, he may be adjusting his eating habits to only eat once a day. If he's having BM and they are normal in size/consistency, then he obviously is getting some nutrition. This is what I usually gage Sophie on. Another thing I use to stimulate her appetite is a few cheerios. But only after she performs a few tricks. I just want to add that I am in no means an expert on dog nutrition or even close. I can only share my own Sophie's habits for you to compare. Good luck!

plain cheerios or honey nut?

I use either the plain of the Multigrain. Don't know if the flavored ones are ok or not? Their great for treat training too! I use them also for grooming. Keeps her busy while I get the last of the little knots out.