Why Won’t My Shiba Inu Puppy Eat? Explained!

Shiba Inu puppies tend not to eat well and nibble at their food. This is always a form of adjustment to the new environment and people, as it often happens after some change in their life. Also, your Shiba may not eat when they’re bored by a certain food type.

You can try moisturizing it with water if you’ve recently introduced your Shiba Inu puppy to kibble dry food. At times, Shiba Inus want the food a little softer than it is straight from the shop.

In this Shiba Inu guide, we’ll take you through some key reasons why Shiba Inus act weird with food and suggestion possible actions you can always take.

Before we proceed to the reasons your Shiba Inu isn’t eating, let’s check the questions you ought to ask yourself first;

• Is your Shiba showing any signs of illness?
• Does your Shiba Inu behave the same with treats?
• Is your canine friend on any form of medication?
• Is there any observable behavioral change?
• How old is your Shiba Inu?

Why Won’t My Shiba Inu Puppy Eat?

• Illness
• Routine Change
• Fussy Eater
• Age

What’s more;

Illness

Sickness may cause your Shiba Inu to stop eating. They’re prone to less severe illnesses such as food allergies.

In addition, your canine friend might have caught an infection, thus the reason to visit the vet. Therefore, always connecting with a nearby vet for emergency services is essential.

Some signs that may show that your Shiba Inu is sick include loss of psyche, vomiting, and increased sleeping.

Also, Shiba Inus are prone to other health issues like liver diseases, kidney failure, or cancer that can trigger loss of appetite.

Routine Change

The routine change affects your Shiba Inu a lot. Shiba Inus are creatures of habit, so they don’t like someone to disrupt their routine.

On distracting their schedule, your Shiba Inu may react by refusing to eat and going on a hunger strike. Shiba Inu can go on a hunger strike for even more than a week nibbling their food.

Activities that trigger a routine change in Shiba Inu include moving to a new home. This is due to the unfamiliarity with the new environment and surroundings.

Also, transferring to a new family is a routine change and can affect your Shiba Inu mood. When they’re in a dull mood, Shibas often refuse to eat.

Fussy Eater

Shiba Inus are naturally fussy eaters and tend to eat when they want. Therefore, they can ignore your scheduled meal time and eat when they want, especially if the food is left for them to free-feed.

Also, when they’re bored with the brand of food they get, they easily become fussy eaters. This behaviour is an attempt to communicate and ask for a change.

Shiba Inu owners should rotate between different foods when selecting what to feed their furry friends. Rotating brands breaks the monotony and encourages appetite.

Age

Age is a crucial determinant factor affecting Shiba Inu eating behavior. Shiba Inu tend to eat a lot during the puppy and growth stages.

However, after your Shibas 1^st birthday, they’ll likely begin eating less food. They eat more during the first twelve months to supplement body requirements.

The end of body growth causes Shiba Inu to change their eating behavior. Therefore, they may turn around and become picky eaters.

How Long Can Shiba Inu Go Without Eating?

Shiba Inu can go for 24 hours without eating. In fact, Shibas often make this their eating schedule if they’re in a position to free-feed themselves.

They’ll wait and eat at night. This means after eating today night, they’ll spend the following 24 hours with the few treats you offer till they can eat in the evening again tomorrow.

However, this is not the proper standard to enforce for feeding your canine friend. An adult Shiba Inu should have two mealtimes in a day.

In addition, water intake is paramount. So, ensure to avail water as you feed your canine friend. You can consider wetting your Shibas kibble and see their reaction.

How Can I Stimulate My Shiba Inus Appetite?

• Feed By Hand
• Wetting Kibble
• Avoid Treats
• Create A Feeding Schedule

Shiba Inus can easily lose appetite due to several reasons. So, you should understand some ways to stimulate your Shibas appetite where possible.

Although difficult, you can always try feeding your Shiba Inu kibble from your hand. Sometimes, they refuse to take their food from the bowl and happily take it from your hand.

In addition, try wetting your Shibas kibble and see if they may develop some interest. Shiba Inu like wet food. So, this can be useful to teething Shiba Inus.

You can try eliminating treats completely to see whether your Shibas appetite will return. They often lose appetite due to excess of treats.

Also, sticking to a feeding schedule can help trigger your Shibas appetite. This is possible if your Shiba Inu lost appetite due to lack of a feeding schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Do I Do If My Puppy Won’t Eat?

If your puppy isn’t eating, begin by getting to the bottom of the matter and understand why they’re not eating.

Some things to try include changing your Shiba Inus puppy diet or food brand.

What Can I Feed My Picky Shiba Inu?

If you have a picky Shiba Inu, I’d recommend trying between dry, wet, and homemade food to identify what they prefer the most.

From there, you know what brands you can interchange when your Shiba Inu loses appetite or stops eating.

Do Shiba Inus Have Sensitive Stomachs?

Shiba Inus have sensitive stomachs and allergies to foods with chicken and grain ingredients.

You should be extra keen when selecting food for your canine friend. You can opt for Turkey flavors or Salmon.

Concluding Sentiments on Why Won’t My Shiba Inu Puppy Eat?

Shiba Inu puppies and adults tend to behave weirdly with food and even refuse to eat at times.

This breed is naturally grazers. So, they mostly like to nibble their food for hours. So, expect this with your Shiba Inu, especially after your first birthday.

Shiba Inu puppies refuse to eat for some reasons, including the ones covered above in the article.

So, always identify why your canine friend isn’t interested in eating before making your conclusion and taking action.