Sometimes our dogs can show a decreased appetite. After visits to the vet confirm that nothing is seriously wrong, you might be wondering how to increase your dogs appetite. Imagine if someone tried to feed you the same food every day!

The first thing you have to check is the quality of their diet. Low quality foods, such as Iams, Purina and other big name brand foods are almost all junk. How to tell if your food is junk? Look at the back of the label. An animal protein should be the first ingredient listed (the first few ingredients make up the bulk of the food). Next, check for any animal by-products. By-products are gross, it is things that are not fit for human consumption all smushed together. If your food meets this bill, you can try to switch to a protein based, grain free food. One of my favorites is Blue Buffalo dog food Wilderness line, because they are also chemical free!

If switching to a good quality food isn’t working for you and your pet, you can try to try hypoallergenic dog food. If there is an allergy or sensitivity, even if there are few outward symptoms, your dog could be experiencing abdominal distress and not eating because of it. Look for dogs labeled hypoallergenic, again making sure there are no chemicals or by-products. Most of these foods will not contain corn and soy, which are known allergens to many dogs.

If all else fails, you can try to entice your dog by feeding him real food! Luckily, our dogs have the immune system to handle raw meats where we can’t. This will let you both have control of the food het gets, and to mix it up giving him some variety in his diet. Just like people, getting a variety of nutrients is important.