This dog blog will answer the major question, “Why do dogs eat treats but not food?” we will also discuss the psychological reasons for dogs not eating dog treats but dog food, the medical reasons for dogs not eating dog food but dog treats, and how you can enrich the dog food for your dog.
Why do dogs eat treats but not food?
Your dog will eat treats but not food because of psychological reasons like separation anxiety and medical reasons like stomach upset. You should figure out what is the cause of the loss of appetite in your dog because it will help you to eliminate the cause of the loss of appetite in your dog. You should devise ways to feed your dog well-balanced dog food.
What are the psychological reasons for dog eating treats but not dog food?
Following are the psychological reasons for dogs eating dog treats but not dog food:
Separation anxiety
If your dog has a friend in the house like another pet whether a dog or cat, it will be attached to the pet in the house. If you separate them the dog will feel anxiety which is not good as it can affect the appetite of your dog. Dogs are sensitive creatures. They love to interact with different people and love to play and run.
If you are not around your dog for a while your dog will feel anxiety and will not eat so you make sure to eliminate this cause of loss of appetite in your dog.
Stress
The next is stress. Stress is also a factor that causes your dog not to eat dog food but dog treats. The stress could be because of many reasons such as changing the environment of your dog or introducing a new dog into the family.
Your dog will feel jealous and will not eat dog food if you are giving more attention to the other pet and not your four-legged buddy in the house.
Your dog will also feel stressed if you change the feeding area of your dog.
What are the medical reasons for dogs not eating dog food but dog treats?
Following are the reasons for dogs eating dog treats but not dog food:
Liver problems
The liver is the central station of metabolism in the body. If the food is properly metabolized in the body it can lead to a healthy body and healthy lifestyle. If the metabolism of the food is not properly coordinated it can lead to a loss of appetite in your dog.
The liver problem may include infectious canine hepatitis and liver tumors. These both affect the functioning of the liver and can lead to loss of appetite in the body.
Kidney problems
The next is kidney problems in your dog. Kidneys are the major excretory agents in the body. If the kidney function is disturbed toxic substances will build up in the body, which can also affect the appetite of your dog.
Acute kidney problems are the most dangerous ones because they can lead to kidney failure, and you have to shift your dog to dialysis, which is expensive and difficult to manage.
Chronic problems of the kidneys develop over time, but they are fatal too for your dog.
Stomach upset
Stomach upset is a minor problem for your dog. It can be treated with little to no care. It is the most common condition that affects the appetite of the dog. Following are the major clinical signs of stomach upset in your dog:
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Weakness
Tooth problems
If your dog is suffering from any oral problems it will not eat dog food because it is difficult to break it down. Your dog will eat dog treats because of the appealing nature of the dog treats.
How can you offer dog food to your dog?
Following are the major ways to provide dog food to your dog:
- You should mix dog food with dog treats so that your dog is attracted to the dog food.
- You should boil dry dog food in the water if your dog is suffering from tooth problems.
- Boiling dog food in the broth is healthy as it gives aroma to the dog food and it will attract your dog to eat dog food.
- You should give the dog food in small meals so that your dog can eat it easily.
Conclusion
In this dog article, we answered the major question, “Why do dogs eat treats but not food?” we also discussed the psychological reasons for dogs not eating dog treats but dog food, the medical reasons for dogs not eating dog food but dog treats, and how you can enrich the dog food for your dog.
