{"id":21,"date":"2025-03-14T10:28:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T10:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/?p=21"},"modified":"2025-03-19T02:42:24","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T02:42:24","slug":"why-dogs-eat-less-in-the-summer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/14\/why-dogs-eat-less-in-the-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Why dogs eat less in the summer"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"21\" class=\"elementor elementor-21\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1da9b459 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1da9b459\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e3f929a\" data-id=\"e3f929a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-159dd56b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"159dd56b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.7.8 - 02-10-2022 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#818a91;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#818a91;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<div class=\"medium-container align-left\"><h1 class=\"heading-8\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-22 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6307cf8f36e84835596b121d_iStock-1246572952.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1254\" height=\"836\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6307cf8f36e84835596b121d_iStock-1246572952.jpg 1254w, https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6307cf8f36e84835596b121d_iStock-1246572952-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6307cf8f36e84835596b121d_iStock-1246572952-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6307cf8f36e84835596b121d_iStock-1246572952-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6307cf8f36e84835596b121d_iStock-1246572952-1x1.jpg 1w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1254px) 100vw, 1254px\" \/><\/h1><\/div><div class=\"large-container center-align\"><div class=\"medium-container\"><div class=\"w-richtext\"><p>Some dogs are picky eaters all year round. Some people are picky eaters only in the summer. Don&#8217;t worry, that doesn&#8217;t mean your dog is dieting to prepare their beach body. Some dogs are not so hungry at all in hot weather for a number of reasons. This is usually a very normal phenomenon.<\/p><p>\u200d<\/p><h3><strong>Why your dog might eat less <\/strong><\/h3><h4><strong>Decreased activity levels<\/strong><\/h4><p>Many dogs tend to be less active during the summer months. Many dog owners are aware of heat stroke, or burning paw pads on concrete, so they shorten their activity and play time. People also usually walk their dogs early in the morning or after dark to avoid the peak of the day. We call them the three-volt days of summer for a reason!<\/p><figure class=\"w-richtext-figure-type-image w-richtext-align-center\"><div><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-23 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6307cfd7ee8ecf55d4d8e490_iStock-454280161.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1218\" height=\"861\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6307cfd7ee8ecf55d4d8e490_iStock-454280161.jpg 1218w, https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6307cfd7ee8ecf55d4d8e490_iStock-454280161-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6307cfd7ee8ecf55d4d8e490_iStock-454280161-1024x724.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6307cfd7ee8ecf55d4d8e490_iStock-454280161-768x543.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/6307cfd7ee8ecf55d4d8e490_iStock-454280161-1x1.jpg 1w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1218px) 100vw, 1218px\" \/><\/div><figcaption>Keep your dog as cool as possible.<\/figcaption><\/figure><p>Reduced activity levels mean they burn fewer calories and don&#8217;t need to eat as much food. Many parents who love pets may mistakenly interpret it as a decrease in appetite rather than a natural response to reduced calorie needs.<\/p><p>\u200d<\/p><h4><strong>Not getting enough water<\/strong><\/h4><p>Hydration is extremely important for your dog&#8217;s health and appetite, especially during the hot summer months. If your dog is dehydrated, the lining of their throat and esophagus stops helping them swallow food. Stay&#8217;s fresh food has a moisture content between 70-75%, which is very good compared to most dry foods (usually only 7-10%).<\/p><p>In the summer, you may also want to supplement with some ice-cold foods to stimulate their water intake. Ice cubes or puppy popsicles are a truly fun treat! And always make sure your dog has free access to fresh drinking water.<\/p><p>\u200d<\/p><h4><strong>Anxious host<\/strong><\/h4><p>Sometimes, a decrease in appetite may actually be a response to the owner&#8217;s anxiety. In the case of the owner being unhappy while eating, the dog may not understand why they feel this way and may associate eating and eating with the owner&#8217;s anxiety.<\/p><p>There are several ways for owners and dogs to deal with this disturbing situation. The first one is to try to reduce stress and stay calm (which we think is a good piece of advice!). \uff09\u3002 The second is to have a calmer person handle feeding time so that the dog no longer sees it as stress time. Another great idea is to change the dog&#8217;s feeding place into a space where you can eat without the owner present.<\/p><p>\u200d<\/p><h4><strong>How to stimulate appetite <\/strong><\/h4><p>If you want to maximize your dog&#8217;s feeding, a good option is to feed them after their walk. Some dogs feel hungry (although not extreme) after physical activity, in addition, all the exciting stimuli during walking may increase their appetite. Once you get back inside, they have a chance to calm down and give them that meal.<\/p><p>You can also improve the palatability of your food by adding some seasoned broth or even a very small amount of salt. These can get your puppy excited for a summer feast. You should add salt for a few days, and only if your dog doesn&#8217;t have any illnesses that require salt restriction.<\/p><p>If you&#8217;re feeding your dog treats, our general rule is that treats shouldn&#8217;t exceed 10% of their daily calorie intake. If you feed your dog more than 10%, they may be less hungry at mealtimes, so be sure to reduce their portion sizes accordingly.<\/p><p>If none of these methods help, and you are concerned about a significant decrease in appetite over a long period of time, we recommend that you contact your veterinarian.<\/p><p><span class=\"\">As we enter the cooler season and your dog gets more activity again, their appetite should return to normal. <\/span>So if your dog doesn&#8217;t eat much in the summer, don&#8217;t worry because there&#8217;s usually a simple explanation!<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"excerpt-hellip\"> [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2871,"href":"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21\/revisions\/2871"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.happyonedog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}