7 Possible Reasons Why Your Labradoodle Won’t Eat

Reasons Why Your Labradoodle Won’t Eat

There can be numerous reasons why your Labradoodle won’t eat, and you can find the most common reasons listed below. You should note, that it’s recommended that you contact a vet to get an idea of your dog’s well-being if the dog hasn’t eaten anything for more than 24 hours.

This is especially important if your Labradoodle will usually eat the food as soon as it’s been delivered. If you have a dog who normally can leave the food for hours, it can be a bit trickier to determine when to contact a vet, so you will have to look if your dog displays any other symptoms that might affect it.

Quality of the Food

The quality of food can certainly affect your Labradoodles’ desire to eat. Feeding low-quality dog food, packed with by-products and fillers, isn’t only unhealthy, but it can quickly lead to a drop in their appetite.

The best dog food should be healthy as well as delicious. Here are some of my favorite dog food products for Labradoodles.

Besides that, if the food is old and stale, a Labradoodle will probably refuse to eat it due to its smell.

Your Labradoodle is Sick

A lack of appetite is a very common sign of something being wrong with the dog, and it’s something you will see with many different diseases. So just because your Labradoodle has a lack of appetite, it isn’t enough to precisely determine what’s wrong with it.

Usually, a lack of appetite will be followed by other symptoms, which might help you narrow down to what the real issue is. This is why you should pay extra attention to any other signs of your pup being sick, so you can describe them to the vet when having your Labradoodle checked.

Your Labradoodle Isn’t Hungry

A dog who has just eaten will usually seem less hungry than a dog who’s just about to eat.

But as mentioned earlier, there are those dogs who are a lot more focused on food and treats than other dogs. If you have a Labradoodle who isn’t that focused on eating, you will find that it is a lot easier to distract him, so he might forget all about his food if a lot of stuff happens around him. This can easily cause your dog to skip a meal once in a while.

Even if you have a dog who’s usually very aware of his food, you might still see occasions where it gets distracted and can’t eat a treat, such as in a situation where you’re training your dog for a specific task. But for these types of dogs, it usually requires a lot more distraction before this happens.

Generally speaking, it’s the owner of the dog who knows it best and can tell what’s normal and what isn’t common behavior for their dog.

Your Labradoodle is a Picky Eater

If you have a Labradoodle who isn’t particularly focused on eating, you will often notice that any change in their diet can cause a loss of appetite. Dogs like that, require a bit more time before adapting to changes in their diet, and it doesn’t matter if it’s wet food, dry kibble, or homemade meals, the result is the same.

So your dog doesn’t even have to be the pickiest eater around, but it can still cause issues for a dog.

Your Labradoodle Is Affected by Hormones

The sex drive in a dog is typically stronger than the lust for food. This means that when you have a bitch in heat, she might have less appetite, not only while in the heat but also for an extended period of up to 2 months after. During this period the level of hormones in her blood can affect her behavior and can lead to pseudopregnancy.

A male dog can also have less appetite at times when the surrounding neighborhood bitches are in heat. He’s quite simply too distracted by all these new smells around him, and this triggers something more important than the desire to eat.

This is why hormones can greatly influence why your Labradoodle won’t eat.

Your Labradoodle is Getting Older

As Labradoodles age, their sense of taste and smell weakens. Due to this, the food might not be as appealing to them as before.

Besides that, exercise requirements for senior Labradoodles are also reduced. They start turning into couch potatoes as time goes on, which means they don’t require as many nutrients as they used to. So providing them with adult dog food that’s high in nutrients can easily make them full.

Your Labradoodle Suffers From Stress or Anxiety

When a Labradoodle becomes frightened, their fight or flight response is triggered in their brains. This means that basic needs such as eating and feeling hungry are shut down. That’s why it’s very common for dogs that are afraid of fireworks or thunder, won’t eat.

Likewise, if you put your Labradoodle in a stressful situation, this can also lead to a lack of appetite. Examples of stressful situations for dogs could be having a lot of people over at your house, that usually aren’t there, or perhaps your dog is with another dog that’s a very dominant dog.

Find the Cause of Why Your Labradoodle Won’t Eat

If your Labradoodle won’t eat or has less appetite, it’s worth considering in it could be due to any of the above reasons such as hormones or stress, or if the dog is simply full already.

Besides those signals, you should be very aware of other symptoms such as lethargy or vomiting, which could be signs of something more severe going on.

Contact your vet and allow the vet to decide if a more thorough check is required.

When Should You Contact the Vet?

• If your Labradoodle won’t eat, and it has been going on for more than 24 hours.
• If it’s more a lack of appetite than a complete disinterest in eating, you can more easily wait it out and see how it goes. Consider if any of the above-mentioned factors might influence why your Labradoodle won’t eat.
• If the lack of appetite results in a weight loss, or if you notice any other signs of possible diseases, such as the dog being lethargic or vomiting, you should definitely contact the vet.
• It’s also a good idea to contact your vet if the lack of appetite seems to continue.

Tips for Feeding When Your Labradoodle Won’t Eat

By feeding your Labradoodle a well-balanced diet, you can ensure that your dog receives proper and optimal nutrition every day. What, and how much to feed your dog can depend on many things that are different from dog to dog.

If you’re unsure how to proceed, any vet can help guide you and provide tips on what’s the best choice for your specific dog.