Siberian Husky Not Eating? 4 reasons (& what to do)

When I was a kid in the country we had a three-legged Husky named Laura. The three legs were not a problem, but then she simply stopped eating. Solving this mystery took some good ol’ fashioned trial and error. And if you keep reading, we’ll help you reduce the amount of error and get your dog eating her favorite Husky dog food again!

Why is my Husky not eating? Here are the 4 most probable reasons your Husky isn’t eating:

1. She isn’t hungry because she isn’t active enough.
2. Her dog food has insufficient or inappropriate protein. Has too much grain, dairy, or is unsuitable for the season.
3. She is bored with the same food at every meal.
4. She has a Zinc deficiency or other serious health problem. Intestinal parasites or gastric torsion could be culprits.

The last option needs a veterinary diagnosis. If you’re not worried that this is life-threatening, you can do simple tests to rule out 1-3. It takes patience, trial and error, and close scrutiny of your dog but it is worth the effort. Below are some tried and true suggestions that worked for Laura and may also work for your dog.

Huskies are Finicky Eaters but That Does Not Mean it is Natural to Refuse Food

Huskies are descendants of dogs that had to get as much nutrition as possible from whatever food was available.

Because of that, modern day Huskies generally eat less than other dogs – as much as 60% less.

If your Husky is full, it usually won’t eat until the bowl is clean (like some other dogs we all know and love).

via GIPHY

When Huskies:

• Refuse food entirely, or
• Nose food around, or
• Lick it, then leave it…

You have a problem. But not an emergency. (Probably.)

You can try to identify the problem before enlisting the help of a Vet by investigating these four areas:

1. Activity level
2. The food itself
3. Feeding schedule and seasonal adjustments
4. Health issues

1. Activity Level

Huskies are working dogs and need to be quite a bit more active than most dogs. They have a naturally high metabolism and so they will eat less the more inactive they are.

Sledding dogs are fed a very detailed and specialized feeding schedule in tune with their training.

But when a Husky is kept purely as a pet, it often happens that it does not get the level of activity it is bred for.

Try to increase your walks in frequency, length, and intensity.

Your Husky was born to run, so give it the opportunity to run and play as often as possible. Huskies need 3-5 miles of exercising four times a week. Do this consistently and observe whether its appetite has returned.

If not, on to the next step.

2. The Dog Food

Huskies have special dietary requirements.

The best dog food for this arctic breed should be:

• High protein (>30%)
• Low carbohydrate content (<30%)
• Moderately high amount of fat (about 20%)

Besides the proportions of the nutrients, it also needs to be high quality food.

That means the protein comes from whole meat or whole meal and appears as the first item on the commercial food ingredients list.

Fish, fowl and grassland animal protein are the best sources of protein for dogs. Fat should also be from these sources. Carbohydrates should be from legumes, seeds, whole fruits, and whole vegetables but NOT from wheat, corn or soy.

Vitamin E should be from a natural source, not synthetic.

Your Husky can be fed raw dog food or commercial food (dry or wet or a combination). However, do not feed raw and commercial in the same meal as they digest differently.

To reduce food boredom, add a few small slices of cheese or a meat that it normally does not get to the meal every now and again.

Mince (ground beef), different types of fish, and even vegetables added at times will peak it’s interest.

Things NOT to feed your Husky are:

• Cooked bones
• Too much dairy
• Onion
• Specific fruits (grapes, raisins, or prunes)

Dogs may also prefer different food textures and sizes.

Some may prefer softened food in which case a good option is to soften it with dog chicken soup – very nutritious. It may not like kibble or biscuits that are either too large or too small – you will have to experiment.

Important: Do not leave the food dish out too long, even dry food. The knowledge that food is perpetually available is known to lead to boredom in some Huskies.

Remember:

Huskies can be very stubborn and if they dislike a food, they may never touch that food again.

Even if you feed a top quality food, he may simply refuse to eat it.

3. Feeding Schedule and Seasonal Adjustments

Scheduling feeding is extremely important:

Never feed less than 2 hours before exercise and sooner than 30 minutes after.

Ignoring these times could lead to gastric torsion which will need veterinary treatment. The daily timing of the feeding schedule should also be consistent.

Different seasons actually require your Husky to be fed different food combinations:

• Winter – best food is a fish based kibble high in essential fatty acids.
• Spring – gradually add more fowl.
• Summer – Hot Huskies need less calories, so substitute more grassland protein for the fish and fowl.
• Fall/Autumn – increase the fish again and up the fat content.

4. Health Issues

In addition to gastric torsion, your Siberian Husky may also suffer from illness or intestinal parasites.

If you’ve ruled out activity level, dog food, and feeding schedule, it’s probably time for a trip to your Veterinarian.

Huskies (and other Northern/Giant breed dogs) are predisposed to Zinc Deficiency Syndrome.

Zinc deficiency interferes with taste and smell.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel much like eating when I have a cold and can’t smell or taste anything. This could be contributing to why they are not interested in food.

There is no special Zinc supplement for dogs but avoid the ones containing zinc sulphate or zinc oxide.

Start off by giving 25 mg three to four hours after the biggest meal of the day for 2 weeks. If its appetite does not improve, give 2 doses of 25 mg daily, again 3-4 hours after a meal.

Do not exceed 100 mg a day, as the dose will become TOXIC. The dog will vomit when the doses become too large, but do not go there.

If you think the zinc issue may apply to your dog, read up on dosages before you start feeding supplements

Related Questions