Canine Anorexia - What It Means For Affected Dogs

What can cause psychological anorexia in the dog?


Whilst a form of anorexia (loss of appetite or unwillingness to eat even if hungry) can occur as a physical short-term result of physical issues, such as certain health conditions, medications or simply feeling unwell, psychological anorexia in the dog is much more complex; the condition is not fully understood even in people, and there are a huge number of different paths to treatment and recovery, each of which are very different.


Psychological anorexia in the dog is not, as is often the case with people, related to body image; however, there are a huge range of other psychological triggers that can lead to a loss of appetite and an unwillingness to eat in the dog nonetheless. Some of these triggers include:



Stress.

Fear.

Grief.

Discomfort.

Nervousness.

Boredom.

Depression.

Behavioural problems.

Poor handling or a history of abuse.

A strong dislike for the food offered.

Not recognising the food offered as their meals; for instance, if a dog has become used to eating human food rather than dog food.



Whilst such issues can affect any breed or type of dog at any age, dogs that are highly intelligent, very active and are highly strung or need a lot of stimulus in order to be happy are particularly sensitive to such things, such as the petite Yorkshire terrier, or the lively, personable Springer spaniel, who is nonetheless a very sensitive character!


Identifying and diagnosing the problem


First of all, if your dog stops eating, is reluctant to eat or otherwise is not eating enough to support a healthy body, you must take them along to the vet, in order to definitively identify the problem and rule out any underlying health condition or physical causes. It may not be possible to do all of this in just one visit, as your vet may wish to test a blood and/or urine sample from your dog, and possibly perform diagnostic