My old dog won't eat!? Causes and solutions

01/22/2026 01/22/2026

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It can be worrying when a dog you've lived with stops eating, but when it's an elderly dog, you start to worry even more, wondering if it's sick or just aging.

An elderly dog is generally considered to be 7-8 years old for small and medium-sized dogs, and 6-7 years old for large dogs.

To ensure your dog's health, owners need to properly understand their pets.

This article will introduce the causes and solutions for when an elderly dog stops eating.

Reasons why my old dog won't eat

Dogs that refuse to eat can occur not only in older dogs, but also in puppies and adult dogs. However, when we focus on older dogs, there are two main reasons for this.

Aging

Just like humans, dogs age gradually. As their bodies change with age, their taste preferences change. This change in taste can lead to them refusing to eat the same food they used to eat.

Just like humans, as we age, dogs can become unable to eat solid foods or choke on them.

As chewing, swallowing, and even digestive functions gradually decline, dogs may no longer be able to eat the same food as adults.

As various functions decline compared to adult dogs, their physical activity inevitably decreases. This decline in physical activity leads to fewer calories burned and less food eaten.

Since you can't force your dog to exercise excessively, it can be difficult to make up for the lack of exercise.

Illness and Injury

This isn't limited to elderly dogs, but illness or injury may be the reason they aren't eating.

Humans can also stop eating if they're not feeling well or have an injury in their mouth.

Similarly, dogs may lose their appetite due to illness or injury.

What to do when your dog won't eat

Increase Exercise

Increasing exercise will increase the calories burned, which will encourage your dog to eat more.

Going out for walks is common, but on rainy or snowy days, teach your dog exercises at home.

You can make up for a lack of exercise by playing at home, such as throwing a toy and having your dog fetch it.

Try Changing Their Food

Your dog's food preferences may change as it gets older.

Try changing your dog's food preferences, such as switching from hard dry dog food to soft wet dog food, to see how it goes.

There are also dog foods for different ages, such as those for puppies, adult dogs, and senior dogs.

Dog food for senior dogs is softer and gentler on their teeth, and contains many ingredients that are beneficial to their joints (collagen, glucosamine, etc.).

Soft food is easy to eat, but the ingredients that are beneficial to your dog's joints help maintain healthy joints and encourage increased exercise.

Increased exercise leads to increased calorie expenditure, which naturally encourages eating more.

Try Changing the Way You Feed Your Dog

Even if you're feeding your dog the same food, changing the way you feed it can sometimes encourage your dog to eat it.

Dogs have a much better sense of smell than humans, so placing food in a microwave-warmed container can sometimes stimulate an older dog's appetite.

Also, if your dog's teeth are weak due to aging and he is unable to eat hard food, soaking the food in water for a while to soften it will allow him to eat it.

By adding water, you can also hydrate your dog, preventing dehydration, which can be dangerous when your dog doesn't eat.

First, make sure you're feeding your dog the right food.

Visit a Veterinarian

If your dog is not eating and is showing other symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, or restlessness, it may be ill or injured.

If this is the case, please visit a veterinarian as soon as possible.

Leaving it as it is, thinking "Maybe it's okay," can lead to irreversible consequences. Furthermore, if your dog hasn't eaten for more than two days, it could be life-threatening.

If you notice any obvious abnormalities, it's best to take your pet to the vet. Even if there's nothing unusual about your pet other than not eating, if changing its food or increasing its exercise doesn't improve the situation, there may be some other underlying issue, so be sure to take your pet to the vet just in case.

Treats and human food to give when your dog won't eat

If my dog won't eat, is it okay to give him treats or human food?

I understand the temptation to give him high-calorie treats or human food when he's not eating.

It's also true that even not eating for just one day can cause a gradual decline in the performance of older dogs.

Therefore, it's fine to give him treats or human food temporarily.

However, I don't recommend giving him treats or human food long-term.

Even though they're dog treats, they're less nutritious than dog food, making it difficult to maintain your dog's health.

The same goes for feeding your dog human food.

Dogs are primarily carnivores, so their nutritional needs are slightly different from ours. Human food is too high in calories for dogs, making them more likely to become obese.

Obesity can lead to various illnesses and injuries in older dogs, so it's best to avoid it. So, before giving your dog treats or human food out of pity, try changing its food or feeding method, as discussed in the solutions above, to see if it helps.

Recommended Dog Food for Senior Dogs

Inu Neko Seikatsu Dog Food

Inu Neko Seikatsu is a dry dog food that contains six health-supporting ingredients, including glucosamine and chondroitin for joint support and protein specifically formulated for senior dogs to maintain muscle.

It's made for senior dogs and has a reputation for being easy to eat.

This dog food is also domestically produced, so transportation is quick and convenient.

Products shipped overseas gradually oxidize during shipping, and preservatives may be used to prevent this.

Since this is domestically produced, it contains no preservatives, allowing you to feed fresh dog food to older dogs.

Butch

Butch is a high-protein, low-fat wet dog food with a moisture content of over 70%.

Dogs place great importance on texture, so they prefer wet dog food to dry dog food.

It's also easy for older dogs with weaker teeth to eat, so if you give Butchi to them when they're not eating, they'll eat it all up.

However, feeding them only wet dog food can further weaken their teeth, so we recommend mixing it with dry dog food.

Anshin Inukatsu

Anshin Inukatsu is a dry dog food that prioritizes health and safety. It is additive-free, uses domestically sourced ingredients that are edible for humans, does not use oil coatings to enhance palatability, and is manufactured using a low-temperature, low-pressure process to preserve the nutrients and flavor of the ingredients.