Many pregnant dog owners wonder if it is normal for dogs to eat less when pregnant. After careful thought and research on this question, here’s what we found.
Most dogs experience a significant decrease in appetite during pregnancy, often becoming reluctant to eat anything. This change typically occurs in the first or last week of pregnancy. However, some dogs may not lose their appetite early on; instead, they might experience an increase in appetite at the initial stage of pregnancy.
You might wonder, At what stage(s) in dog pregnancy should appetite loss be expected? Can dogs completely lose their appetite due to pregnancy? When is a loss of appetite an issue during dog pregnancy? These three questions will be answered in this article.
At What Stage In Dog Pregnancy Should Appetite Loss Be Expected?
Dogs can lose their appetite either at the first or last week of pregnancy. In the first weeks of pregnancy though, appetite loss is usually subtle.
However, in the final weeks leading up to delivery (weeks 8-9), your dog may experience a significant drop in appetite. This happens because the puppies are fully formed and preparing for birth.
Pregnant dogs can also become picky with their food in the final stage of pregnancy, which can contribute to a loss of appetite.
But is it normal for a dog to completely lose its appetite during pregnancy? Let’s find out.
Please Note: For a more in-depth understanding of what happens at each stage of dog pregnancy, feel free to check out our post on dog pregnancy signs and stages.
Can A Pregnant Dog Completely Lose Appetite?
It is common for pregnant dogs to experience a complete loss of appetite during pregnancy. This though, is most likely to happen during the final weeks of the pregnancy due to rapid changes in the dog’s hormones.
From our personal experience, we see that most dogs are more focused on nesting and resting during the final stages of pregnancy and pay little or no attention to food.
So if you notice your dog barely touching its food, but looks perfectly healthy and is resting well, you probably have nothing to worry about.
But just to be extra sure, it wouldn’t hurt to change up your dog’s diet a bit, including more protein and vitamin content.
Please, consult with your vet for a more informed adjustment to your dog’s diet.
But when can appetite loss be an issue during dog pregnancy? Let us cover that next.
When Can Appetite Loss Be An Issue During Dog Pregnancy?
A complete loss of appetite for longer than 24 hours could spell trouble whether a dog is pregnant or not.
“ We once had a dog who refused to eat for 3 days during her late stage of pregnancy and had to be hand-fed. It turned out she had contracted the Pavo virus while pregnant and could have died if we had not consulted the vet.” – Louisa.
if your dog completely refuses to eat anything at any stage of pregnancy it will be appropriate to consult your vet
The lesson, consult your vet if you notice any abnormalities in your dog’s behavior and feeding habits at any stage during your dog’s life whether pregnant or not.
In Conclusion
In this post, you have learned that your dog could have a decrease in appetite during pregnancy causing it to eat less. You have also understood that this could occur during both early and late stages of your dogs pregnancy.
We have seen that a loss in appetite during your dog’s pregnancy should not raise any red flags unless it is a complete loss and persists for longer than 24 hours.
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