How to Increase the Appetite of a Sick Dog
- 1). Contact your veterinarian to make sure your dog's lack of appetite does not require treatment. If your dog has an infection or another underlying medical condition, that ailment may need to be treated before you can try and tempt your dog with food. If your pet hasn't been eating, he or she may also need fluid support that only a veterinarian can provide.
- 2). Offer your dog a food that appeals to his or her sense of smell. If a food smells strongly enough, it may entice your dog to give it a try because dogs are led by their sense of smell. If your dog is recovering from stomach or intestinal distress, try a vegetable broth. Otherwise, tempt him or her with some boiled chicken and brown rice. If your dog has been sick, start with small portions, but offer them more frequently than normal. If you can get a few tablespoons of food down every few hours, it should begin to stimulate your dog's appetite after a day or two.
- 3). Offer your dog wet food if you cannot get him or her to eat. If you are opposed to feeding your pet wet food, try mixing in a few spoonfuls of wet food with his or her dry food. Wet food smells stronger than dry food and therefore is much more palatable to a dog. If you don't want to continue feeding the wet food after your dog is eating normally, decrease the amount you add little by little each day.
