Old Dog Won't Eat but Drinks Water — What to Do

When Your Senior Dog Turns Away from Food

There are few things more worrying for a pet owner than watching your senior dog walk past their food bowl without interest. Dogs are supposed to love eating. When they do not — especially when they always used to — it feels like something is very wrong.

Appetite loss in senior dogs is common, and the good news is that it is frequently caused by issues that can be addressed. Sometimes the solution is as simple as warming the food. Other times, it signals a medical issue that needs veterinary attention. Understanding the range of possible causes helps you respond with the right level of urgency and take practical steps to help your dog eat.

Why Senior Dogs Lose Their Appetite

Dental Pain

Dental disease is one of the most common — and most underdiagnosed — causes of appetite loss in older dogs. By the time most dogs reach their senior years, some degree of dental disease is nearly universal. Broken teeth, infected gums, loose teeth, and oral tumors can make eating painful. Dogs rarely stop eating completely due to dental issues. Instead, they may eat slowly, drop food, tilt their head while chewing, prefer soft food, or eat less at each meal.

Because dogs cannot tell us their mouth hurts, dental problems often go unnoticed until they are severe. A thorough dental examination — which typically requires sedation to evaluate teeth below the gum line — can reveal issues that dramatically affect appetite.

Nausea and Gastrointestinal Issues

Senior dogs are susceptible to a range of gastrointestinal conditions that cause nausea and reduce appetite. Pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, constipation, acid reflux, and liver or kidney disease can all create a persistent feeling of queasiness. A nauseous dog may approach the food bowl, sniff, and turn away — they are hungry but the thought of eating makes them uncomfortable.

Signs that nausea may be involved include lip licking, excessive swallowing, drooling, eating grass, vomiting or dry heaving, and general restlessness around mealtimes.

Pain from Non-Dental Sources

Dogs in pain often eat less. Arthritis pain can make the physical posture of eating — standing with the head lowered over a bowl — uncomfortable. Neck pain, back pain, or abdominal pain can all reduce appetite indirectly. If your dog seems uncomfortable standing at their bowl, an elevated feeder may help by reducing the strain on neck and joints.

Reduced Sense of Smell

A dog's interest in food is driven heavily by smell. As dogs age, their sense of smell can diminish, making food less appealing simply because they cannot detect its aroma as strongly. This is especially noticeable with dry kibble, which has a much milder scent than wet food. A dog who used to inhale their kibble may now stare at it indifferently — not because they are sick, but because they literally cannot smell it well enough to get excited.

Medication Side Effects

Many common medications prescribed for senior dogs can reduce appetite as a side effect. Anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, heart medications, and pain medications can all affect appetite. If your dog's appetite loss began around the same time as a new medication, mention this timing to your veterinarian — they may be able to adjust the dose or switch to an alternative.

Cognitive Dysfunction

Dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction may forget their feeding routine, fail to recognize their food bowl, or simply lose interest in eating as part of their broader cognitive decline. Some dogs with CCD wander away from the bowl mid-meal, seemingly forgetting what they were doing.

Emotional Factors

Stress, grief (after losing a companion pet or family member), changes in environment, and depression can all affect appetite in senior dogs. Dogs are more emotionally sensitive than many people realize, and major life changes can temporarily suppress their desire to eat.

Practical Strategies to Encourage Eating

While addressing underlying medical causes is essential, these practical strategies can help stimulate your senior dog's appetite in the meantime.

Warm the Food

Gently warming your dog's food releases volatile aromatic compounds — essentially making it smell stronger. For a dog with a diminished sense of smell, this can be the difference between disinterest and enthusiasm. Microwave wet food for 10 to 15 seconds, or add warm (not hot) water or low-sodium bone broth to kibble. Always test the temperature before serving.

Add Toppers and Mix-Ins

Food toppers can transform a boring bowl into something irresistible. Effective toppers for senior dogs include low-sodium bone broth (poured over kibble), a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin (not pie filling), a small amount of plain cooked chicken or turkey, scrambled egg, freeze-dried meat crumbles, and commercially formulated meal toppers designed for dogs.

Start with small amounts of topper mixed into the regular food. The goal is to make the existing food more appealing, not to replace it entirely with treats and extras.

Adjust the Feeding Setup

Consider whether the physical setup of mealtimes could be improved. Elevated food bowls reduce strain on the neck and shoulders for dogs with arthritis. Non-slip mats under bowls prevent frustrating sliding. Feeding in a quiet, low-traffic area reduces stress. Some senior dogs eat better when meals are offered in their resting area rather than the kitchen.

Offer Smaller, More Frequent Meals

Instead of two large meals, try three or four smaller meals spread throughout the day. A large bowl of food can be overwhelming for a dog with a reduced appetite, while a smaller portion may seem more manageable. Some senior dogs who refuse a full meal will happily eat half a meal twice as often.

Try Different Textures

If your dog is refusing kibble, try wet food. If they are ignoring wet food, try lightly cooked whole food. Some senior dogs develop preferences for specific textures — soft over crunchy, or vice versa — as dental health or digestion changes. Do not be afraid to experiment.

Hand-Feeding

For some senior dogs, especially those with cognitive changes or anxiety, hand-feeding provides the personal connection and reassurance that helps them eat. Offer small pieces of food from your palm. The interaction itself may stimulate appetite.

When to See the Veterinarian

While a single skipped meal is not necessarily cause for alarm, persistent appetite loss in a senior dog always warrants investigation. As a general guideline, contact your veterinarian if your dog has not eaten for more than 24 hours, if appetite loss is accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or any other symptoms, if there has been a gradual but significant decrease in food intake over several weeks, or if your dog is losing weight.

Your veterinarian may recommend blood work, urinalysis, imaging, or a dental exam to identify underlying causes. Many conditions that cause appetite loss in senior dogs are treatable, and identifying the cause often leads to significant improvement.

Nutritional Considerations for Senior Dogs Who Eat Less

If your senior dog is consistently eating less than they used to, ensuring that every bite counts nutritionally becomes more important. Discuss with your veterinarian whether a calorie-dense senior food might be appropriate, whether nutritional supplements could fill gaps, and whether the current diet is still the best match for your dog's changing needs.

For dogs who are eating very small amounts, your veterinarian may recommend high-calorie nutritional gels or pastes as temporary supplementation. These concentrated calorie sources can help maintain weight and energy when regular meals are falling short.

The Emotional Side of Mealtime

Watching your dog refuse food touches something deep. Feeding our dogs is one of the most fundamental ways we care for them, and when they will not eat, it can feel like our care is not enough. Try not to let anxiety about eating create stress at mealtimes — dogs pick up on our tension, and a worried owner hovering over the bowl can actually make appetite worse.

Offer the food calmly. If your dog does not eat within 15 to 20 minutes, pick it up without fanfare and try again at the next mealtime. This prevents grazing on stale food and helps maintain a healthy meal rhythm. Your calm consistency, combined with the practical strategies above and appropriate veterinary care, gives your senior dog the best chance of rediscovering their appetite.