Dogs are probably the best companions humans can ever get. They are comforting, loving, affectionate, and supportive. Most dog owners would also say they never feel lonely with their pets around.
While looking for a canine friend, there are several breeds to choose from. Beagles are popular as they’re active companions for both children and adults. They are fun-loving but stubborn and require effective training too. In the United States, you’ll find several beagles living as a part of families.
Beagles have easily transitioned to companions, but they do come with a set of responsibilities. They can only have fun and stay healthy if we take good care of them. Since they were bred for hunting, they need an active routine and a healthy diet.
However, sometimes, they stop eating and drinking. They start acting differently, and you don’t know why. Such a situation can worry you. We’re here to ease your concerns and help you figure out what to do in such situations.
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Why Is Your Beagle Not Eating?
When your healthy beagle suddenly stops eating, it is pretty alarming. You start wondering why your beagle refuses to eat what they usually enjoy on any other day. But at this point, it is important to keep your anxiety at bay and carefully observe your canine’s behavior.
Observe your buddy for signs or clues that will help you understand why your beagle isn’t eating. Check whether they are interested in the dish of food kept in front of them or not. Are they trying to eat? Are they finding it difficult to do so? If your canine friend is interested in the food but unable to eat, inspect them for problems in their mouth, teeth, or throat.
If your beagle lacks interest in its food, check for a spike in temperature. Dogs aren’t immune to illnesses and often fall sick.
A minor stomach bug or food poisoning is more common than you think when it comes to beagles. It shouldn’t be a cause for worry, as most dogs recover naturally.
Another reason why your beagle isn’t eating could be a general sense of discomfort if they’ve been vaccinated recently. In addition to causing mild symptoms like fever, vaccinations may affect your pet’s appetite. Your beagle may be picky with its food for a day or two. Please pay close attention to them during this time, though. It would also be advisable to serve them food a little later.
However, if your puppy looks particularly drowsy, withdrawn, or seems to have lost complete thirst, it may be cause for alarm. Don’t ignore symptoms simply because your beagle is not voicing its complaints. It would be best if you took your pet to the veterinarian at the earliest possible time to ensure their health and safety.
Lastly, don’t overstress. Dogs are strong animals and can manage without food for some time without any drastic health issues arising.
Why Is Your Beagle Lethargic?
Beagles as a breed are incredibly hyper and active. They are energetic and tend to bounce around all the time. But this also means they get tired often. It is natural for your pet to want to rest after running around all day. After all, no one can be expected to have an endless supply of energy.
Younger beagles typically fall into this category and tend to fall asleep anywhere, anyhow. This situation can prove to be pretty hilarious. Be assured that this is entirely normal. In older dogs as well, you’ll notice a reduction in energy levels—just like with humans. This, too, can be normal.
However, lethargy, when presented with other symptoms, is an indication of something more serious. Excessive fatigue can result from insufficient diet, lack of proper nutrition, or health problems.
If your beagle is exhausted all the time and shows no interest in its food, you might be dealing with an infection or disease. Many viral illnesses, such as distemper and parvovirus, manifest as lethargy and loss of appetite in dogs. This combination can also be an indicator of liver disease and heart problems. If you notice both symptoms in tandem, please take your beagle to a vet.
Why Is Your Beagle Throwing Up?
Vomiting can be of several types—cute, chronic, present independently, or as a symptom of diarrhea. For a breed that loves to eat, you’re likely to face several vomiting sessions. Don’t panic at the first incident, as it isn’t necessarily a bad sign with the beagle breed.
The three most common reasons for a beagle suddenly puking are a) they’ve ingested a foreign substance, b) because they drank water too fast c) or they gobbled their food at lightning speed. In any one of these cases, your pupster should be fine after throwing up one or two times.
A precaution you can take to avoid a recurrence is to serve them small quantities of water and food in one sitting. Do also remember to give them cool freshwater, especially after exercise.
When diarrhea and vomiting occur at the same time, this indicates a more severe health problem. Since the digestive system and intestines are now involved, you’re not dealing with minor stomach irritation. Just like with humans, dehydration is often seen in cases of repeated vomiting and diarrhea. And since dehydration can worsen the illness, ensure that your pet is well-hydrated and comfortable while you play detective.
Eating new foods, parasites, and viral infections can cause diarrhea and vomiting in beagles. You will need to use trial-and-error to narrow down what is causing your pet’s discomfort.
- Check if there were any changes in his food or if any medication was added to his meals. Dogs can take 5-7 days to begin displaying stomach-related issues like food poisoning. So try to remember what your beagle might have ingested at least a week before the first onset of symptoms. If you’ve identified any changes—a new pet food brand, extra servings of salmon, etc.—then remove the new food or medication and consult your vet for alternatives.
- Monitor your canine friend for other signs, including abnormal dark stools, fever, weakness, or reluctance to drink. Kidney failure in dogs can present itself via gastrointestinal symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, thirst, and appetite loss. This is because the toxins that don’t get removed by under-functioning kidneys cause digestive tract damage. If you notice these symptoms in tandem, please take your beagle to the vet.
- As gross as this may sound, monitor your pet’s poop for signs of parasitic infections. If you notice something unusual, use the pooper-scooper to collect a sample for your vet to get analyzed.
Related Articles
- How Much Exercise Does A Beagle Need? (And FAQ’s)
- Why Do Beagles Eat Poop? (And How To Stop Them)
- What Can And Can’t Beagles Eat? (The Ultimate Guide!)
- When Do Beagles Stop Teething (And How To Ease Their Pain)
- When Do Beagles Calm Down? (And How To Keep Them Calm)
Why Is Your Beagle Not Drinking?
When a beagle has a stomach bug, they tend to drink a lot of water to make up for any fluids that their body loses.
This is not a cause for concern. If your beagle consumes a lot of water and still refuses to eat after 1-2 days, please take it to the vet as a precaution.
The veterinarian usually advises not to feed the dog for approximately 12 hours if your beagle has mild abdominal discomfort. Once this time has passed, you will slowly introduce a small amount of tasteless food to your pet. If all goes well, you’ll then reintroduce normal food. Essentially, this allows organic restoration of their digestive system.
There are times when your beagle will not eat or drink because it is bored of its regular meals. If there are no indications of illness, such as fever, change your pet’s diet for a day or two.
In most cases, a beagle’s pickiness about food causes temporary aversions. This does not constitute a medical emergency. However, you always want to be alert to this possibility. If they don’t consume any food or drink at all, it could indicate an infection or disease. When combined with lack of defecation or pain, it could mean a bowel obstruction. In such a situation, take your puppy to see the vet as soon as possible!
Why Is Your Beagle Not Eating Breakfast?
Your beagle might not eat its breakfast for several reasons. Like humans, your pet can choose to skip a meal if they’re already overfed. This tends to happen if you leave food in your beagle’s bowl all the time.
Another reason why your pet might skip breakfast is that it’s mimicking your schedule. If you’re a late riser and so is your pup, it may still be digesting the previous night’s meal. Give your beagle a walk and a little time before serving breakfast.
Dogs also skip breakfast if they don’t have a regular eating schedule. Other than that, sometimes dogs just prefer having their food later in the day.
If a missed breakfast is unusual for your beagle, you can try a new combination of wet and dry foods to see if it perks up their interest. Another option would be to just leave the food down for 10-15 minutes and wait for your little pup to come around to eat it.
And if all else fails, it is best to call your vet for a consultation.
Why Is Your Elderly Beagle Not Eating?
If you had to eat the same food daily, wouldn’t you be bored of it? Would you be able to manage it without losing interest? That’s exactly how most dogs feel when you serve them the same old food every day. This is why it is important to mix things up a little every once in a while.
Serving your beagle a few scraps off your dinner plate a few days at a time might do the trick—as long as you avoid all known toxins like garlic.
If your beagle is comparatively older, they may be experiencing dental problems, which may make chewing very difficult for them. Fortunately, aside from a vet check-up for teeth and remedial action, you can ease your pet’s issues by softening his food. Adding water or chopping large chunks into smaller bits could be all that your beagle needs.
If your elderly beagle isn’t eating, check if it’s uncomfortable during walk time, when climbing stairs, or getting out of bed. Your dog may have arthritis.
In such a scenario, the best thing to do would be to let him rest, as almost any physical movement, even walking, could be very painful for him.
Call your veterinarian and get help with developing a plan to help control your dog’s pain and to improve his mobility. This could, in turn, finally make him feel comfortable enough to move.
Since older dogs aren’t sure of their footing, check the surfaces of their regular feeding area. Bowls and dishes placed on smooth surfaces or slippery surfaces make it more challenging for older pets to cross or to eat confidently. Try to place their food bowls on surfaces that are easy to navigate.
What to Do When Your Beagle Isn’t Eating?
Since dogs and humans don’t speak the same language, it can be challenging for a pet parent to figure out why their beagle won’t eat. The cause could be anything ranging from illness to boredom to dental or digestive issues, parasitic infections, and bowel obstructions. While some of these are worry-inducing, others are not.
If their sickness is acute or minor, you should give them a few days to recover independently. If the condition prevails, it is best to get them checked by your veterinarian. Always make sure you take your beagle to the vet in the earlier stages.
Things to Consider
- A lot of the time, when you give your dog tasty treats or table scraps, they tend to enjoy the new flavor and demand more. While this behavior shouldn’t be encouraged, it is best to add new flavors to your dog’s food.
- In the case of your elderly beagles, providing them liquid foods such as gravy or mixing dry food with some warm water is an ideal solution. While this may feel unnecessary, it is important to consider your canine buddy’s health and comfort.
How Long Can A Beagle Go Without Eating?
Food is essential for survival, not only for humans but for dogs as well. However, there may be situations where an uncomfortable or unwell beagle doesn’t eat for days. While this is natural, as a concerned dog parent, you might wonder how many days is too many?
A healthy dog can go without eating food for five days on average. There is a condition, though. Your furry friend must ingest plenty of water. If that is the case, your pet’s okay. However, if they refuse both food and water, call a vet.
For beagles specifically, going without food for four days can cause severe complications. They are small-sized dogs, after all. Please don’t wait for more than a day or two before taking your beagle to a vet.
Why Has My Beagle Suddenly Stopped Eating?
If your beagle suddenly stops eating, it could be food boredom or a health-related problem. While illnesses are typical, they become particularly worrying if your canine friend appears to be underweight.
If your beagle has not eaten in 24-48 hours, take it to the vet even if it has no other symptoms.
Want To Train Your Beagle With Peace Of Mind?
If you haven’t trained your beagle properly, then this is the perfect time to start. Whatever bad behavior your shepherd has, whether it’s barking at night or other bad behaviors, using the right training program is the key to having an obedient and happy pup.
The training program I love and highly recommend is Brain Training For Dogs.
With Brain Training For Dogs, you’ll save yourself a ton of time and effort. Instead of banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why your dog won’t listen, you’ll follow a path that has been tried, tested, and most importantly, that’s given proven results. Not to mention the fact you’ll be able to fit the course around your schedule, not fit your schedule around a trainer or obedience class.
So instead of worrying about whether they’re going to be well-behaved or not, you’ll only have to worry about how much fun you’ll have with them!
And in most cases, it’s still going to be:
- Cheaper than hiring a professional.
- Cheaper than replacing everything they might break.
- And definitely cheaper than a lawsuit against you, if they decide to bite someone.
Just imagine how great it will feel to finally be able to trust your beagle completely and never worry whether they’ll be naughty or not. Instead, you’ll have the peace of mind that you have a well-behaved pup, and the boundaries you set for them will always be there, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT.
And the best part is it also has a 60-day money-back guarantee! So there’s no reason not to give Brain Training For Dogs a try!
So if you’re tired of your dog’s bad behavior or how they react around other people and pooches, then give it a try! You’ll be amazed by the results!
(You can also check out a full review here to learn exactly what the course has to offer!)
Recap
Your beagle is an integral part of your family, and hence it is understandable when you worry about him. If you’re a first-time beagle parent, do a little online research or speak with your vet about beagle-specific food, habits, and care. This knowledge should help you to mitigate diet-related issues. However, beagles are a food-loving breed and tend to put anything in their mouths. This is why it’s crucial to be able to distinguish between a typical stomach bug and a more severe infection.
While panic might be your first reaction, you should try to identify the root cause by observing your beagle’s diet. Once you’ve done that, you should be able to handle the rest from there.
Sources
- https://beagleslife.com/my-beagle-wont-eat-or-drink/
- https://beaglecare.com/beagle-not-eating/
- http://www.beaglepro.com/