I have heard one story recently about the 3-year-old Boxer that suddenly stopped eating. The dog owner was terribly concerned, took her to the vet who ran many tests but all results came negative referring that the Boxer was perfectly healthy. As she continued losing weight, the owner kept searching for the reasons. What can make a Boxer stop eating?
A Boxer dog who isn’t eating could have some health issues. That could be a dental problem, pain or reaction to some drugs but also can be an indicator of some severe illness. Not only health issues will cause Boxer dog to lose the appetite. Other reasons could be stress, separation anxiety, extreme grief, improper handling, environmental changes.
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How To Know If My Boxer Is Not Eating Well?
Not all dogs are the same, some will eat more while others will eat less. The amount of food your dog will eat depends on his age, energy level, eating habits, health status.
Many owners will not make a big deal of a short-term appetite loss. Not all days are the same. Maybe something was stressful for your dog and therefore he ate less that day. That’s quite normal.
But how to be sure that your dog is eating enough?
The easiest way is to stick to the feeding guide on the dog’s food label. Unless stated otherwise, the specified amount is recommended for 24 hours. If you have an adult Boxer, split this amount into two meals.
Of course, there are other factors that you should take into account. One of them is the level of activity.
If you have a very active Boxer you might give him a bit more than it’s recommended but if you have a rather sedentary dog then you can slightly decrease the recommended amount.
Keep a record of your Boxer’s weight change. Check your dog’s weight every 2-3 weeks and keep a diary of the results. If you notice any change, whether your dog is losing or gaining some weight, adjust the portions accordingly.
If we assume that you know your dog’s eating habits, any change in those might be a red flag for you. You don’t have to rush to the vet immediately but you should closely monitor your dog’s behavior and how much he is eating.
Pay special attention to following questions:
- Is your Boxer a light eater?
- Is your Boxer eating less then usual?
- Have you changed your dog food recently?
- Is your Boxer happy to eat, he starts but not able to finish the meal or he is lethargic and not interested in food at all?
- Does your Boxer refuse treats?
- Does your Boxer drink water?
- What about his other habits, does he play, does he have the same level of energy, how much he sleeps?
- Have you noticed any other health issues such as vomiting, diarrhea, signs of pain?
- Can you see the ribs, spine, and bones from a distance? If yes, that means that your Boxer doesn’t have enough body fat nor muscles which further means that your dog is malnourished
However, any sudden appetite loss is the reason to pay special attention to your dog. Do monitor your Boxer next couple of days and see what happens. If his appetite comes back to normal, great!
If not, call the vet, as any dog that was a good eater, suddenly loses interest in food has some kind of problem.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that your Boxer suffers from some life-threatening disease, he might have some behavioral issue but still, appetite loss is something that has to be treated on time.
What Illnesses Cause My Boxer Stop Eating?
There are various illnesses that can make your Boxer stop eating or decrease his appetite significantly. Professionals from Winter Park Veterinary Hospital listed and explained health issues that can cause Boxer not to eat.
Dental Issues
Dental issues are the most common chronic diseases that affect all dogs but Boxers are especially prone to these issues. Everything begins with the tartar build-up and then continues with gum infection.
What is characteristic for Boxers, according to experts from Winter Park Veterinary Hospital , is the development of Hyperplastic gums. As tartar builds on the teeth, the gum tissue grows swollen. In some cases that excess of tissue covers almost the whole tooth so the dog can barely eat.
Also damaged or broken teeth may cause eating difficulty. That is why you should pay special attention to what your Boxer is chewing on. You should avoid giving him super hard chewing toys made of plastic.
Instead of these, pick the toys made of rubber or nylon. Don’t give your dog any animals bones, especially cooked bones, ice cubes, sweet food.
Your Boxer may stop eating as something in his mouth causes him pain but an oral tumor can also be the reason for decreased appetite.
Digestive Disorders
There are several digestive disorders that Boxers are prone to. They can start early in their lives and cause a variety of digestive problems such as diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss.
The point is that you can prevent these issues from happening if you take good care of your dog and feed him with high-quality dog food.
Avoid any commercial treats, table food as this kind of nutrition can be high in fat or sodium as well as artificial ingredients that could harm your dog’s digestive system.
Heart Problems
According to Winter Park Veterinary Hospital Boxer breed is prone to Dilatative Cardiomyopathy, a heart issue that makes the heart become very large but thin. This heart doesn’t have enough strength to pump blood effectively to the body.
There is also an issue called Aortic Stenosis that your Boxer may inherit, which causes some obstructions in the heart blood flow so the heart must pump as twice as hard.
However, these heart issues will make your dog very tired, breathless, coughing. All these symptoms will affect his eating habits and appetite. Bear in mind that in this case heart problem is something that has to be treated immediately and poses a much bigger threat then weight loss.
Cancers/Tumors
Many tumors and cancers affect Boxer’s appetite. Cancers affect metabolism and therefore can cause nausea which will decrease the dog’s appetite and lead to weight loss.
Some tumors are located in the dog’s mouth, throat, or intestinal tract which makes eating and digesting food very difficult, as mentioned in Winter Park Veterinary Hospital article.
Anyhow, if you notice that your Boxer stopped eating, do rush to the vet as the reason might be a tumor or cancer
Kidney Failure
If your dog experiences kidney failure, you may notice excessive thirst in your Boxer. The disease progresses bringing lethargy, depression, poor appetite, vomiting and in extreme cases your dog might stop producing urine at all.
Liver Disease
Opposite to kidney failure, liver disease may cause an increase in thirst which will make your dog pee frequently. But also important indicators of liver disease in Boxers are very poor appetite and weight loss.
Other symptoms are vomiting/ diarrhea, unstable walk, yellowish tongue, eyes, weakness, and presence of blood in your dog’s pee or poop.
Infections
All kinds of infections – bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections may affect your Boxers’ eating habits and appetite. For example, viral infections such as Distemper or Parvovirus will cause a lack of energy and appetite loss.
However many infections ( no matter what caused ) result in a lack of energy as a great deal of energy is diverted to the immune system in order to fight off the infection. As a result, we have a lethargic dog that even refuses to eat.
Other heath issues
Many health issues have appetite loss as one of the symptoms. Your Boxer won’t eat well if he suffers from:
- Endocrine disorder
- Autoimmune disease
- Respiratory problems
- Neurological disease
Also, note that short-term appetite loss may happen if your Boxer has been vaccinated.
What Psychological Problems Can Cause My Boxer Stop Eating?
You would surprised how these creatures are sensitive. Not only physical issues but also a range of psychological problems may cause Boxers not to eat well.
Stress
Stress is the number one reason for decreased appetite. It can be short-term if something stressful occurred or it can be a long-term problem if your dog is exposed to permanent stress.
Stress doesn’t have to be emotional. Many dogs will feel the stress caused by some illness or pain.
Depression
Another reason for dogs to stop eating. Depression may be associated with major life and environmental changes. For example, if your family moved to another house or you have been staying in your home for most of the day but now you have found a full-time job. Your Boxer might be very sad as he doesn’t spend the amount of time that used to with you.
Boxers are also very attached to their owners and when it happens that a grown-up ”child” goes to college far from home, Boxer will be very sad.
Your Boxer might become depressive and sad if he looses a friend, another animals from the same household.
Overall any big change in Boxer’s life may be a trigger for depression ( moving to another home, separation, divorce, death etc) and appetite loss as a result.
The Boxer is Hurt or Angry
These dogs have a very strong sense of fair play. If they are not treated as they think they should be, they will let you know.
I have read one excellent post about a Boxer that stopped eating when his owner found a full-time job. The problem was surely separation anxiety but the major issue was the person in charge to stop by and play with the dog, let him out while his owner is in the office.
That person didn’t treat the dog the same way owner did so the dog decided to inform the owner how unsatisfied he was. Very smart!
Other Reasons Boxers Stops Eating
Daily Routine Change can affect your Boxer’s appetite. No matter how small they are still can make your dog stop eating. For example, if you travel with your dog, that might decrease his appetite as he simply feels uncomfortable in that transition.
The Change of Dog’s Food – if you want to switch one dog’s food for another you have to do it very but very gradually.
No matter if you think that those two foods are rather similar in taste ( maybe they contain the same type of meat )changing food is always tricky.
The transition from one food to another should last for at least one week
You should mix both foods but in different percentages:
Day 1 -2 : 25% new food, 75% old food
Day 3 -4: 50% new food, 50% old food
Day 5-6 : 75% new food, 25% old food
Day 7: 100% new food
What Should I Do If My Boxer Won’t Eat?
The most important thing is to determine the cause of appetite loss.
If some health issue is the reason your Boxer won’t eat, then the vet will prescribe the treatment for the specific health condition but also give you advice about your dog’s diet.
On the other hand, if your dog has some behavioral or psychological issue that causes him to stop eating then here are some tips on how to handle this situation:
- If your dog usually eats dry food, try canned food. Or add some warm water to dry food, to make it more appealing
- Try different type of food but introduce a new food very gradually
- Serve the food in toys -food dispensers. That way the Boxer will have fun while he is eating
- Cut the treats
- Increase the level of activity, play more with your dog, make him exercise more
- Feed your Boxer on regular schedule, adult dogs should have two meals per day, one in the morning and another one in the evening
- If you have two or more dogs and they all eat together, try to feed the Boxer that has an appetite issue, alone. Also, change the feeding bowl/plate or even the place where the bowl/plate is usually located.
- Don’t leave your dog alone for too long. Any Boxer can develop separation anxiety. If you are away from home to often then arrange some nice dog facility or daycare
- If your Boxer is depressed because his friend has just passed away or you moved into another house, try to give your dog a little bit more attention and care than usual.
- Think about the things he enjoys. If he is happy to go for a car ride, do it! If he misses terribly his friend, get another pet if you can. Just avoid pampering him with extra treats when he is sad. He will understand that he is praised for such behavior and you don’t want him to think that, right?
