Why is my dog not eating Royal Canin

Why is my dog losing weight?

Your dog's weight will change over the course of their lifetime, depending on their age, breed, whether they are neutered and any health conditions they may have. But if you've noticed your dog has suddenly and unexpectedly begun to lose weight, this could be a sign of a serious disorder.Not all sudden weight loss is due to a chronic condition, so make sure that you speak to a veterinarian as soon as possible to help work out what the problem is and what treatment is available for your dog.

Gastro-intestinal disorders in dogs

Weight loss can be a sign your dog is suffering from one of many possible gastro-intestinal disorders, which can affect their stomach and intestines. Other signs to look out for are chronic diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, dehydration and lethargy. When your dog is suffering from a gastro-intestinal problem, they may lose their appetite and begin to lose weight as digesting food causes them discomfort.

Chronic renal failure in dogs

A serious and common problem that occurs in 2% to 5% of all dogs, chronic renal failure is a condition where your dog's kidneys stop working effectively and aren't able to perform excretory or metabolic functions. The average age of diagnosis is six and a half years old, so it's a condition that often affects older dogs. Alongside weight loss, you may notice your dog is lethargic, weak and suffers with vomiting or diarrhea.

Megaesophagus in dogs

Weight loss is a secondary sign of a condition called megaesophagus, which prevents your dog from fully digesting and absorbing its food. In dogs with this illness, their esophagus swells, becomes enlarged and begins to malfunction as it no longer transports food to the stomach effectively.

Why is my dog losing weight?

Your dog's weight will change over the course of their lifetime, depending on their age, breed, whether they are neutered and any health conditions they may have. But if you've noticed your dog has suddenly and unexpectedly begun to lose weight, this could be a symptom of a serious disorder.

Not all sudden weight loss is due to a chronic condition, so make sure to speak to a vet as soon as possible to help work out what the problem is and what treatment is available for your dog.

Gastro-intestinal disorders in dogs

Weight loss can be a sign your dog is suffering from one of many possible gastro-intestinal disorders, which can affect their stomach and intestines. Other symptoms to look out for are chronic diarrhoea or constipation, vomiting, dehydration and lethargy. When your dog is suffering from a gastro-intestinal problem, they may lose their appetite and begin to lose weight as digesting food causes them discomfort.

Chronic renal failure in dogs

A serious and common problem which occurs in 2% to 5% of all dogs, chronic renal failure is a condition where your dog's kidneys stop working effectively and aren't able to perform excretory or metabolic functions. The average age of diagnosis is six and a half years old, so it's a condition which often affects older dogs. Alongside weight loss, you may notice your dog is lethargic, weak and suffers with vomiting or diarrhoea.

Megaesophagus in dogs

Weight loss is a secondary symptom of a condition called megaesophagus, which prevents your dog from fully digesting and absorbing its food. In dogs with this illness, their esophagus swells, becomes enlarged and begins to malfunction as it no longer transports food to the stomach effectively.

Mixed feeding your dog

Mix feeding - combining wet and dry food

As we have discussed above, both types of diets, dry and wet, have their unique benefits. So what about using both together? Combining wet and dry food can be a good solution bringing many benefits to your pet. So how can you start doing this with your dog?

A lot of how to feed your dog will come down to your dogs personal preference. Some dogs will prefer their wet food separate from the kibbles as they each have their own unique aromatic profiles to encourage your pet to eat them. Others might enjoy them mixed together, but in this case it is best to be served fresh at the same time each day. There is no requirement to mix the dry food and the wet food in the one bowl when you feed your dog; In fact, you don't even need to serve them at the same time. One of the benefits of dry food is it doesn't spoil easily, which makes it perfect to leave out during the day if your dog likes to snack rather than gobble their food down. Then you can serve them their wet food in one to two set mealtimes during the day to best fit into your schedules.

Some additional tips for mixed feeding include:

1. Gently heating the wet food. This helps to release some of the great aromas in the wet food to encourage them to eat it. Important that this is only done in 5 second bursts, and to make sure you check the centre of the food with your finger to make sure it isnt too warm to touch and give it a good stir before serving it to your dog.

2. Make sure you clean the bowl used for the wet food after every meal. Even though your dog will lick the bowl clean, some of the oils and fats in the wet food will stick behind. These can convert to a rancid smell quickly. Remember your dog has a very sensitive nose, so this might discourage them from eating the fresh food you have put in the bowl.

3. For fussy eaters, a small amount of warm water mixed with the wet food can turn into a gravy to mix into the dry food.

4. Remember that any change in diet, including the introduction of wet food if they have not been mixed fed previously, should be done slowly and with care. Just like us, our dogs have a unique set of bacteria in their intestines that responds to the food your dog is fed. Therefore, a change in diet will result in a shift of this bacteria population that needs to be done slowly to prevent things like diarrhoea from a quick transition.

My Dog Doesnt Like Royal Canin!

Zack Keithy, our author, is a certified veterinarian technician (UC Blue Ash) for over 6 years (contact him here). The articles written here are based on his expertise and experience, combined with a review by our expert vet reviewers including Dr M. Tarantino. Learn more about us here.

Are you struggling with a picky eater who just wont touch their Royal Canin food? When I had my first dog, she was exactly the same way, and I totally didnt understand why. I always thought that if I gave dogs anything to eat, they would wipe it off their bowl right away.

Well, that didnt happen, and luckily, I have since figured out why.

If your dog does not like Royal Canin dog food, there could be a few reasons why, such as a sudden change in diet, not liking the new taste, or even possibly a health condition that deters it from eating.

In this post, I will share these in detail and give you some advice on how to transition food for your dog smoothly.

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Why Do Dogs Not Like Certain Brands of Dog Food?

Just like their humans, dogs consider the taste and texture of what they are eating.

If you give your dog a brand of dog food that doesnt suit his preference, your dog will surely ignore and hate that dog food brand.

It could also be that the brand of dog food you gave your dog triggers an allergic reaction or intolerance of your dog thats why he doesnt like it.

Another reason is that dogs can be sensitive to dietary changes, and abruptly switching to a new type of food might cause gastric problems and make your dog reluctant to eat.

Besides that, dogs can also be picky eaters just like us! Perhaps youve been serving your dog the same brand of dog food over and over that he no longer likes trying out other dog food brands that offer new tastes.

And lastly, have you or a family member been feeding your dog table scraps? If that is the case, it might be very difficult for it to accept something new right away.

Doggy says, you might be keen to read this too: Are Goldendoodles picky eaters?

Can a Dogs Taste of Food Change Over Time?

A dogs taste in food changes over time as they get older and their bodies adapt to the changes brought about by their growth stage.

Your puppys taste of food will change as he grows to be an older doggy, and your adult doggy will have a different taste of food once he becomes a senior dog.

A medical condition can also be a root cause for the change in his taste in food.

If your dog develops an allergic reaction to a certain dog food, youll certainly notice that he is eating less and less of that dog food flavor and brand.

You will also want to pay attention to emotional factors that might cause stress. When that happens, it is highly likely that its diet will be affected.

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Doggy says, you might be interested in reading this too: Can dogs eat deer meat?

How to Get Your Dog to Eat Royal Canin Kibble?

If youve just transitioned from another dog food brand to Royal Canin kibble, your dog might have a hard time adjusting to the new taste.

Here are some simple but useful things you can try to make your dog eat Royal Canin Kibble.

Mixing New Food With Current Food

Mixing Royal Canin kibble with the current food your doggy loves is a great idea to smoothly change your dogs food over time.

In your dogs bowl, mix 75% of the current food and 25% of Royal Canin kibble.

Your dog might notice something different with the flavor and smell but he will still get to taste his usual dog food so hell continue eating until the bowl is empty.

Do that for a couple of days.

You can then adjust the mix to 50-50, and slowly increase it to 25-75.

If your dog doesnt put up any resistance, you can then stop mixing and just serve Royal Canin kibble altogether.

You gotta understand this is a process that takes time.

You have to let your dog get used to the additional taste of the mixed foods before you can serve the Royal Canin Kibble.

Patience is a must to make this process successful!

Mixing With Wet Food or Broth

Royal Canin kibble might appear too dry for your dog which is why youre having a hard time making him eat it.

Mixing the kibble with wet food or broth is an ideal technique to add more texture and make it more palatable for your dog.

Puppy and senior dogs will be able to chew the kibbles easier with wet food or broth in the mix!

Of course, you still gotta be careful doing all this mixing.

Start with a small amount of wet food or broth mixed with Royal Canin Kibble until your doggys tummy gets used to this mixture of food.

When youre sure your dog has no problem digesting the combo of Royal Canin Kibble and wet food or broth, then start giving him a larger portion in his food bowl.

Making sure that the wet food or broth you are mixing matches the nutrition needed by your dogs size and age is also important!

How Much Time is Needed to Transition to New Dog Food?

The time needed to transition to new dog food is at least a week or 7 days.

These 7 days are enough to give your dog a chance to adjust to the new taste and texture of new dog food.

On the first two days, mix a lesser amount of new dog food with your dogs current food.

On the third and fourth days, you can start mixing equal portions of the new dog food and the old one.

The fifth and sixth day allows you to serve a greater amount of the new dog food and a lesser amount of the old food.

By the end of the week, you can already start serving the new dog food as it is to your doggy.

Watch your fur baby closely while transitioning to new dog food for potential digestive issues.

If a problem arises, its best if you consult the vet.

Potential Issues When Changing Dog Food

Changing dog food can cause digestive issues for your dog.

The transition might not go well in your fur buddys little tummy and he might have a hard time digesting the new dog food.

This can lead to vomiting and diarrhea.

Your dog might also lose appetite on the first few days of changing his dog food.

When a decrease in appetite continues, youll expect your dog to lose weight too.

Allergic reaction to the new dog food is also possible especially if your dog has sensitive health.

When transitioning to new dog food, its always best to start out slowly.

What Other Types of Food Can You Give Your Dog Besides Dry Kibble?

Wet food and homemade food are always great substitutes to give your dog besides dry kibble.

Wet food is moister and has more flavor than dry kibble, which your dog can find more delicious.

Homemade food is a convenient dog food to serve your dog.

Just boil some meat and throw in minimal seasoning, and youre good to go.

I personally go for Ollie fresh dog food.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What to do if my dog doesnt like his new food?

Mix the new food with your dogs current food if he doesnt like his new food. This will give him some familiarity but also a little introduction to the new taste and smell of the new food.

Is Royal Canin recommended by vets?

Yes. Royal Canin is recommended by vets because the company produces optimal and healthy dog food.

In Conclusion: My Dog Doesnt Like Royal Canin

No matter what brand of dog food you are giving to your dog, just remember to transition it slowly in order to give him or her time to adapt.

If it does not work, you can always revert back to the old one you were using, or if you need a more detailed approach, a check with the vet will be very helpful.

Check out more articles about dog diets such as Zesty Paws mobility bites review, Hills Science diet vs Blue Buffalo, is YuMOVE good for dogs, and many more on our blog.

Youve made it to the end, but I hope its not the end of our journey. We want to hear your voice! Share your thoughts, problems, suggestions, or anything related to your dog in the comments section. And dont forget to join our newsletter today too.