Our dog's appetite is one of the main indicators of its state of health. In general, when your pet loses its appetite it is usually a reflection of discomfort or some problem that requires consulting a trusted veterinarian. However, when this occurs in summer, it may have another explanation.
If, in addition to noticing a change in its desire to eat, you see that it has other symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, or some other strange behavior, we recommend that you act as in the first case, visit the veterinarian and clarify the condition of your pet.
Dogs reduce their diet in summer due to two main factors, the change in the duration of sunlight and the increase in temperature.
The effect of sunlight on dogs
In reality, your dog begins to reduce his diet a few weeks before the arrival of summer. As spring progresses, the hours of daylight become longer and with this, your dog demands less and less food. At first, this decrease may go unnoticed until that the difference in quantity is much more notable.
The explanation for this behavior is due to their nature as hunting animals, although they do not need it to feed themselves, it is part of their instinct and it is in these types of situations where it is reflected.
Dogs identify the increase in hours of sunlight with the spaces and opportunities to hunt for food because it is an activity they do during the day. As the hours of sunshine increase, their opportunities to have food increase, so they have less need to be fully nourished at a time.
On the contrary, when winter approaches and the hours of sunshine are reduced, the animal prepares because it will have fewer opportunities to obtain food, so any opportunity to obtain calories will not be wasted.
The effect of temperature on dogs
Temperature is also a factor that determines the amount of calories your pet demands, its effect is on the amount of activity it can perform in a given period of time, which in turn translates into a lower demand for food.
Why is this happening?
Dogs, unlike humans, only sweat through their mouths, this represents a significant handicap when it comes to regulating body temperature in high temperature environments. When they are physically active, their body temperature increases. In the same environment, a dog can demand approximately 30% fewer calories in summer than in winter.
That is why it is normal for your dog to ask for less play and respond with less enthusiasm to his usual toys in summer. It is very important to pay attention to all the signals that our dog gives us in order to provide them with everything they need in these summer days.
What can I do to make my dog eat better?
To help your dog spend these warm days happy and well fed, we recommend a couple of adjustments.
Change of routine
The first thing you can do is change your routine and departure times, you can choose to leave early in the morning before the temperatures rise and in the evening, after the sun goes down. With this change you will be able to encourage a little more physical activity since the temperatures on those walks will be more tolerable for your dog.
In addition, you can accompany these outings with their meal times, so you can take advantage of the appetite they have after playing.
Promote hydration
It is very important that your pet always has fresh, clean water, especially on these hot days. In addition to making sure his bowl is always full, you can use wet food and/or fruits.
Although sometimes there are conflicting opinions, as a general rule, dogs can eat all types of fruit, however, there may be some cases in which they feel bad due to a particular issue of the animal and in these cases it is better to consult with the veterinarian. trustworthy.
Some fruits that they usually like and that are also very good for hydrating them are watermelon, melon, apple, etc. You can give all these fruits directly or mixed with their feed.
wet food
Wet dog food is a very good option to promote their appetite and also helps with hydration, which is essential to keep under control.
Either you switch completely to a wet diet or you alternate with the feed that he usually eats with a can or sachet that he likes.
This type of food has a high liquid content that helps regulate your metabolism as well as temperature.
You can also use refillable dog toys and put them in the freezer to give them a refreshing stimulus.
That's all for today =D If you have any questions or would like us to answer your questions in future posts, contact us. We will be happy to help you!
