Why Is My Dog Laying Down Without Eating And Drinking? Explained

Why Is My Dog Laying Down Without Eating And Drinking? Explained

It surprises us if our playful puppy lays away in a corner. What’s more, concerning is if he stops eating and drinking altogether. There are many reasons for this sudden behavior change in dogs, and we will explore that in detail today.

So, why is my dog laying down and not eating and drinking? Mainly there are three reasons for this. Medical issues, behavioral issues, and something wrong with the food itself. It could be because of a medical illness that is causing trouble in your dog’s tummy most of the time.

My dog Won’t Eat Or Drink And Lays There – Why?

A dog starts acting out of order only when his equilibrium is shaken. A dog laying down and not eating essentially means something is wrong; every dog parent knows how greedy they are to eat. Food is like their life, and they love food above all else.

So, if suddenly it changes, that’s a red light for every dog owner. As mentioned above, the reason for this can be divided into three categories. They are medical issues, behavioral issues, and issues with the food.

When medical issues are considered, your dog is either sick or in pain. It could be a problem with their teeth, nausea, diarrhea, stomach worm / parasitic issue, a stomach upset, or many more.

Other than these normal medical issues, some more serious diseases cause a dog to lie down, rejecting all food and water. These are cancer, liver disease, kidney failure, heart failure, or lung-related problems.

Sometimes, you must have noticed some dogs eating grass. They do that whenever they have a stomach-related problem. They will continue eating grass for a while and then vomit it back out, ending his stomach pain.

After that, he will be back to normal again. Just like that instance, we could rate some less threatening occasions.

But be warned, sometimes, the critical illnesses I mentioned above might not show any symptoms of seriousness other than the fact your dog is laying down and not eating.

So be cautious; if you see any red flag in the situation, hurry to the doggy’s veterinarian before it’s too late.

My dog Won’t Eat Or Drink And Is Shaking – Why?

Even though dogs shake and tremble for excitement, sometimes this shaking could result from a much more serious problem. Such as poisoning or kidney disease.

If your doggo ever starts trembling silently without having food, you need to be very cautious. Pay very close attention to your doggy’s behaviors and decide right away if you need to see the pet’s vet as soon as possible.

When researching reasons why a dog won’t eat or drink and is just shivering, other factors that happen to be on the line are canine distemper (caused by a virus), Generalized Tremor Disease (steroids), seizure disorders, brain disorders, and pain caused by old age.

If your doggo is very old, his weak bones and muscles will have to muster up all the courage and strength to hold him up during his movements.

A shaking doggo is sometimes a medical concern, and you need to hurry to your nearest dog clinic if you notice much pain or discomfort in your doggo.

After all, it’s better to be on the safe side than to be sorry.

Why Is My Dog Moping Around And Not Eating?

We discussed why a dog isn’t eating or drinking and shaking. Many reasons for these are medical conditions that affect the dog’s body.

But suppose a dog laying down and not eating and moping around with sad looks on his face. In that case, it’s safe to assume that a psychological issue has arisen this time.

Other than the common factors where the doggo is missing his owner or acting sad to get more treats or the loss of someone he loves, there are many other unassuming factors, such as a new addition in the family or moving to a new location.

But when our very active and playful puppy becomes a miserable, sullen doggo, nothing else pains us more than that.

Therefore, getting him out of this depressed state will be the only thing on our minds after that. As I said before, psychological factors can be the highest possible reason for why your dog laying down and not eating while having a sulking look on his face.

But we should also note that it could also be because of an illness. When a dog goes through pain or an illness that he couldn’t possibly express, he will stay in a corner silently with a moping look without being the active dog he once was.

The feeling would probably pass within 24-48 hours, but taking your pet to the vet is the smartest move if it prolongs than necessary.

In the meantime, playing with him, going to the park or the beach, or simply going for a walk would bring up his mood considerably.

Why Is My Dog Not Eating His Food But Will Eat Treats?

Like the ones we discussed before, there are many possible reasons for a dog to refuse food but eat treats. For a start, your doggie might be a picky puppy for his food.

If he gets a heightened taste in his treats than his daily food, your dog will do anything to get more of these treats.

But sometimes, if you have changed his usual food type or the place where you keep his food bowl, or if you’re giving him far too many treats than you should for a day, he might choose not to eat his food and go for treats altogether.

Sometimes if you give him leftover food from your plate, the taste difference between his dog food and ours might confuse him, too.

The highlighted fact here is that if you ever decide that something is seriously wrong and alien about your puppy, without further ado, pay a visit to your puppy’s doctor as fast as possible.

Thank you for reading this post. Stay tuned with Jack Russell Owner for more interesting posts. Have a nice day!

Author

  • Dominic Parker

    Dominic P. is a dog behavioral researcher who graduated from the University of Surrey and holds BVMsi (Hons) in Veterinary Medicine and Science. He has been around dogs since childhood and has unconditional love for dogs. It makes him become a researcher instead of practicing as a veterinarian. Dominic enjoys his work and likes to share his findings with dog parents to give them a better understanding of dogs’ behaviors.

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