The loss of appetite in dogs and cats is a vague symptom, but one that is important.  It can be caused by a wide variety of problems including:

• Stomach or intestinal upset
• A foreign body within the stomach or intestinal system
• Pain or injury
• Heart or lung disease
• Liver or kidney disease
• Any number of other diseases

Some of the signs to watch for include; sudden appetite loss, gradual decrease in food consumption, intermittent appetite, lethargy, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drinking/urinating, discomfort, additional behavioral changes, and anything else out of the ordinary.

What to do:

• If there are no other signs other than loss of appetite, wait 24hrs to see if the animal improves.  If after one day the animal is still not eating, call your veterinarian.
• Observe the animal for any other symptoms, evaluate the animal’s urine/feces, and discuss all observations with your veterinarian.
• If the appetite returns after one day, continue to monitor the animal as it may be intermittent.  If this happens again, call your veterinarian.

What NOT to do:

• Do not delay in contacting your veterinarian, you know your animal better than anyone.  If you think something isn’t right, it probably isn’t.
• Do not try to offer the animal a variety of foods, it’s important to know if there is truly a problem and the earlier its addressed, the better.
• Do not give the animal any medications unless they are prescribed by your veterinarian, it could make matters worse.

Dogs and cats generally have consistent and healthy appetites.  Changes in food, ingestion of a foreign body, an upset to its daily routine, and stressful environments among other things can cause temporary loss in appetite, but many serious diseases can also be linked to a poor appetite so we need to be observant and identify the cause as soon as possible so it can be addressed.