Maggie won’t eat

[Roy Wilkins]

Maggie is 14 months old, she weighs 60lbs. She suddenly stopped eating.
We feed her canadie dry food. We would switch between the different flavors with no problems. She has never been fed anything different. We are going to take to vet we suspect she ha ear infection. Would this affect her appetite?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Any time a dog suddenly stops eating, a visit to the vet is in order. Please let us know what the vet says. 

[Kat and Winston]

How long has it been? Winston will sometimes have a day he doesn’t eat much and he’ll be fine the next day. We knew we had a big problem when he wouldn’t eat and then threw up food in an amount that looked like two days worth and refused to eat even his favorite treat. He’d carry the treat around the room and then just sit and look at it. In the end he had a wad of string in him. A bunch of X-rays with and without barium that were inconclusive but suggestive of something in there, followed by an ultrasound that showed no obstruction and almost exploratory surgery. Two nights in hospital. They finally sent him home when he started eating small amounts again. Ten days later he threw up the wad of string. Anyways so many reasons dogs won’t eat. Flea meds and heart worm pills etc can make them feel off. Ear infections or virus of some sort or just getting pickier. As long as she’s drinking and not vomiting or having diarrhea they can go a day or two without eating but if in distress or not drinking the I’d go in sooner.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, skipping one meal or even having an off day is not necessarily cause for concern as long as they are drinking water and acting all right, but anything more than a day is worth a visit to the vet, IMO. And certainly, if there are any other signs of something being wrong (change in behavior or energy levels, vomiting, not drinking water, etc) I would go immediately. 

And ear infections always need to be diagnosed and treated, anyway.