9 Weird Reasons Schnauzers Stop Eating + 5 Helpful Tips

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If your schnauzer is not eating and misses one meal it’s usually nothing to think twice about. But if they start refusing to eat for one and a half days to two days, it can become concerning.

Why Is My Schnauzer Not Eating:

When a schnauzer randomly decides to stop eating it’s because they are going through something emotionally or physically. Whether a loved one recently passed away or they are in some sort of physical pain. If it’s only one meal here and there it’s likely just an off day.

In this post you’ll discover:

9 reasons why your schnauzer is not eating
When your schnauzers refusing to eat is something to worry about
5 tips to help get your schnauzer eating again (Tip #2 can help the quickest!)
And much more

Let’s jump right in.

Table of Contents

9 Reasons Why Your Schnauzer Isn’t Eating

1) Age Plays a Role

If your schnauzer is starting to move into their senior years it’s not uncommon to see them eating less from time to time.

Not only does their metabolism start slowing down as they age, but they also have more general aches and pains that can throw off their appetite.

They’re also more likely to have an underlying health issue that affects their appetite if they’re getting older.

Many people start going easy on their pup as well in terms of exercise as they get older.

And if they aren’t moving around as much it’s normal for them not to want to eat as much which we’ll get into in the next point.

If your schnauzer is moving into their senior years and they haven’t eaten for more than 24 hours it’s a good idea to take them to the vet.

[Nothing brings peace of mind quite like speaking with a vet – click here to chat with a vet online now]

2) Less Physical Activity

No matter your schnauzers age, if they haven’t been moving around as much lately it’s completely normal for them to eat less.

Dogs are like humans in the sense that when they’re more active they tend to have a larger appetite.

So, if your schnauzer has been laying around the house more than usual it stands to reason that they would want to eat less.

This is particularly true if they aren’t getting any form of exercise at all.

It’s important to make sure your schnauzer is getting enough exercise because not only does it help them maintain a healthy appetite, but it also helps them stay at a healthy weight.

3) Feeling Sad

It’s not just people that can get sad or even depressed, dogs can too.

If your schnauzer is feeling blue it’s not uncommon for them to not want to eat nearly as much as they normally do.

Just like with people, when we’re not feeling our best emotionally, we don’t always want to eat.

There are a number of things that can trigger sadness or depression in dogs including the loss of a family member, another pet, or even just a move to a new house.

Interestingly, a study done in 2016 found that the loss of an animal companion had a big impact on dogs.

The average dog in their study ate 35% less and 31% slower.

Which means if your family went through a loss recently, or something else has happened that’s making your schnauzer sad, it could be why they’re not eating.

4) Recent Environment Changes

Change is tough for anyone, even dogs.

If there have been any recent changes to your schnauzers environment it could be why they’re not eating.

This could include something as big as a move to a new house or something as small as a new piece of furniture being brought into your home.

Dogs are creatures of habit and they like things to stay the same for the most part.

So, if there have been any changes to their environment, it’s not unusual for these things to stress them out which could lead to a decrease in appetite.

The most common environment changes that stress dogs out which causes them to not eat are:

Bringing a new baby home
Adding another pet to your family
A change in your work schedule
Moving to a new home
New people taking care of them for a period of time

Each of these affect your schnauzer’s environment and can make them feel anxious and less interested in eating.

5) Random Disinterest In Their Food

For the most part, a healthy adult schnauzer won’t randomly become so bored of their food that they stop eating.

But sometimes they will decide they’re not eating.

For seemingly no rhyme or reason.

Which isn’t terribly concerning if it only lasts for 24 hours.

Even people will have off days where they aren’t nearly as hungry.

So if your schnauzer isn’t eating and it’s only been 24 hours, and they’re perfectly healthy as far as you’re aware of, it’s likely just an off day.

You can try adding water to their food to change up the texture, add chicken broth or put some meat on top of their food to see if it reignites their appetite.

If your pup hasn’t eaten in 24-48 hours they should be looked at by a vet to rule out any potential problems.

6) In Pain

If your schnauzer is in pain, it’s understandable that they would become less interested in eating.

While they could be experiencing some external pain, the most likely place for pain that’s affecting their eating is in their mouth.

Dental problems are one of the most common health problems in dogs, and they can be quite painful.

You might be shocked to find out that roughly 90% of all dogs experience some form of periodontal (gum) disease by the age of 2.

Which is largely due to the fact that many people aren’t aware of how important it is to create a good oral hygiene routine for their pup.

So if you haven’t been brushing your schnauzers teeth or getting them dental chews, their mouth could be in pain which is why they’re not eating.

7) New Meds Or Vitamins

If you’ve recently started giving your schnauzer medication or vitamins, it could be the reason they’re not eating.

This is especially true if they’re taking a pill form of medication as some dogs have a hard time swallowing pills.

It could also be that the medication or vitamin makes them feel nauseous which would lead to a decrease in appetite.

If you think this is the case, talk to your vet about alternative forms of the medication or vitamins.

For example, if your dog is on pills, there might be a liquid form that would be easier for them to take.

There are also many different brands of vitamins and supplements so if your pup isn’t tolerating one brand, there’s a good chance they’ll do better with a different brand.

If you’ve started giving your schnauzer medication or vitamins and they suddenly stop eating, it could be the reason why.

8) Recently Got Their Shots

If your schnauzer recently got their shots, it’s not unusual for them to have a decrease in appetite.

This is because when your pup gets vaccinated, it causes their body to produce antibodies and this can sometimes make them feel a little under the weather.

This is usually only temporary and their appetite will go back to normal once their body has adjusted to their shots.

In the meantime, you can try adding water to their food to make it more appealing or giving them smaller meals more often throughout the day.

9) Underlying Health Issue

There are many different health issues that can cause a decrease in appetite.

Some of the more common ones include:

Cancer
Kidney disease
Liver disease
Thyroid problems

If your schnauzer has been acting off or you’ve noticed a change in their behavior, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and take them to the vet.

5 Tips To Help Get Your Schnauzer Eating Again

1) If Healthy – More Exercise

If your schnauzer is completely healthy as far as you know, one thing you can try to get them eating again is increasing their exercise.

When your pup doesn’t move around very much, they have no need to eat.

Also, sometimes when dogs are bored, they can lose interest in their food.

So if you think this might be the case with your pup, try adding an extra walk or 30 more minutes of playtime to their daily routine and see if that helps.

The more they get their body moving the more food they’ll need to refuel.

2) Limit How Many Treats They’re Getting

If you’ve been giving your schnauzer a lot of treats, it could be the reason they’re not eating their food.

While it’s okay to give them an occasional treat, you don’t want to make it a habit as this can lead to them becoming picky eaters.

When treats are given too often, your pup might start to expect them and lose interest in their regular food.

So if you think you might be giving your schnauzer too many treats, cut back on how often you’re giving them and see if that makes a difference.

3) Change Up How They’re Eating

If you change up how your schnauzer is eating, it might make it a little more of a fun/exciting activity that they become interested in again.

Things like changing up their food bowl, putting it in a different spot, elevating it or even trying hand feeding for a little while.

Sometimes a little change can spark your schnauzer’s interest and get them eating again.

Plus if you decide to go the hand feeding route you’ll be spending more quality 1-on-1 time with your pup that I’m sure they’ll love.

4) Test a More Strict Feeding Schedule

If you’re not already, it might be a good idea to start feeding your schnauzer on a more strict schedule.

This means feeding them at the same time(s) everyday and taking away their food in between meals.

When your pup knows that they will only get food at specific times, they’ll be more likely to eat when it’s available.

If you’ve been leaving their food out all day, they might not be as inclined to eat because they know there will always be food available.

By switching to a more strict feeding schedule, you’ll help your pup build up a little more of an appetite and hopefully get them back to eating regularly.