Dr. Liz,

When I give my dog some food, an hour later I check on her and she hasn't touched a bit.

What should I do?

-Alex

Alex, it is very rare for a dog not to eat. There could be several reasons as to why. Most importantly you must make sure that your dog is not sick. Not eating is usually the first sign that your dog is not feeling well. It is important to monitor your dogs behavior. If your dog continues to refuse food, please take it to see your local vet. They can give your dog a physical check and offer other specific pet tips. This can be a signal of more serious issues.

Once you have determined that your dog does not have any other serious ailments, there a few different avenues that you can look at.

• Picky eater- Some dogs can develop fussy food requirements. This is a product of you pandering to their whims. Maintain balanced and healthy meals for your dog. If your dog won't eat the regular food, you can try premium dog food. It is important that you don't give in, and start feeding your dog scraps to supplement it's diet.
• New source of food- Often if your dog is not eating at meal time it is because it has found another source of food. If your dog spends time outside unsupervised, check compost, trash cans, cat food bowl. Dogs are crafty when it comes to food. It is possible that your pet has found another place to get its meals. Dogs are not that picky, they are happy to eat garbage, cat stool, compost, anything that they can get their paws on. 
• Portion control- If you are feeding your dog multiple times in a day, be sure to get corrects measurements for your dogs size and weight. Your dog will not eat if it is not hungry, it may simply be a case of over feeding. 

It is always a concern when your dog stops eating, the best solution is monitoring the progress. Try these simple things, remember not to force or reprimand your dog for not eating. There is always an explanation for a lack of appetite, with some solid investigation work you can get to the bottom of it.

- Dr. Liz