In this article, we discuss possible reasons and causes why “My beagle won’t eat or drink”, and what we can do to help them through these phases.

My Beagle Will Not Eat Today

As alarming as it can be if an otherwise healthy beagle suddenly stops eating, it’s important to be vigilant.
Observation is key at this stage. Are they completely disinterested in their food bowl?
Do they try to attempt to eat, but act like that can’t?

Inspect them visually and feel for any signs of injury or anything abnormal.
Be sure to check for signs of issues with their teeth, mouth, and even their throat.
You may also wish to check them for a fever.

If your beagle had recently had a vaccination, that can affect their appetite for a day or two, in addition to potentially causing mild illness.

Keep an eye on him or her for the remainder of the day. You can also try to offer food again a little bit later.

If your pupster is looking particularly lethargic, withdrawn or also has no interest in water, there may be cause for alarm. And don’t assume that just because your beagle isn’t vocalizing pain, that everything is okay. You will definitely want to get them over to your veterinarian as soon as possible, just to play it safe.

Finally, don’t stress too much. Dogs can potentially go without food for a few days without any adverse effects on their health.

My Beagle Won’t Eat Or Drink Water

Let me preface by saying it simply isn’t normal for a beagle to go more than a few hours without eating or drinking anything.

Now, like us humans, they can get the occasional stomach bug. If they are vomiting and/or have diarrhea, they tend to refrain from eating instinctively.  The stomach bug is typically minor and will be mostly just an inconvenience.
Fortunately, your beagle will more often than not drink enough water to replace any lost fluids.

On the contrary, if they are consuming an extraordinary amount of water, but still refuse their food; that may be a signal of infection or serious disease.

Now — If your beagle won’t consume food or drink, get them to the veterinarian ASAP.

Veterinarians typically will advise not feeding your dog for about 12 hours after a minor tummy upset. You’ll slowly introduce small amounts of bland food into their diet, before eventually reintroducing their normal food. This, in essence, allows their digestive tract time to build up and recover organically.

If he or she is not passing any bowel movements or showing signs of straining, in addition to having a lack of appetite; they may have a bowel obstruction. This is another scenario that is non-negotiable. Get your pup to the vet!

Remember the veterinarian would rather see a healthy dog needlessly, instead of a sick dog too late.

Fortunately, most of the time if your beagle starts acting finicky about their food, it’s not indicative of a medical emergency. However, you’ll always want to be vigilant about the possibility.

If your beagle gradually stops eating, they may be pushing you to feed them something different. Let’s discuss this.

My Beagle Won’t Eat Dry Dog Food

When it comes down to it, plain kibble won’t necessarily pique your beagle’s interest all the time.

After all, if you ate the same meal every day, would you potentially get bored sometime? Yeah, I thought so.
That being said, most kibble-fed beagles couldn’t be more thrilled with consuming their daily allocation.

So what causes them to stop eating their dry dog food?

Sometimes, they’ve become spoiled because you’ve recently taken the liberty of adding some table scraps or gravy, and they loved the complimentary addition.

Some other reasons can include: If your beagle is older, they may be experiencing a dental issue that may be making it more difficult for them to chew.
Or if your pupster outside, their food may be too cold.
Fortunately, a simple solution may work here — add a little bit of water.
That may be the only thing necessary to make it more palatable.

So what do you do if they continue to rebuff your dry-kibble advances?

Well, it won’t typically hurt to occasionally add a little something, like the aforementioned gravy I mentioned. As a matter of fact — assuming your dog hasn’t any allergies or food-related issue; we’ve created a list of ingredients that are generally healthy for your beagle here: Beagle Home Cooked Food: A Culinary Guide

The only problem now is: You may now have a beagle that won’t eat dry kibble at all — ever.

So…

What To Feed My Beagle That’s Become More Selective?

Some beagles if given a wide range of food, they may become more selective.

Start at the core: Have you considered changing your beagle’s dog food brand?
Or change their dry food to wet food or vice-versa?
Before doing so — you’ll need to consider your dog’s health profile, your wallet, and possibly your veterinarian.

It’s not something you’ll not want to cycle with a high frequency, as a beagle that is already finicky will potentially become that much more so.

That being said, let’s talk about the positives and negatives of dry and wet food.

What Products Could Help Encourage Eating/Drinking?

Sometimes it’s not what we feed our beagles, but how we feed them.

For example: Imagine if you couldn’t bring food or drink up to your face with utensils or drinkware — how uncomfortable would that be to have to reach down to it instead?

Well, welcome to the life of a beagle.

• Height Adjustable Feeding Stations

A height-adjustable feeding station, like a Pet Zone Designer Diner on Amazon, can help reduce and/or alleviate strain in your beagle’s neck and joints. It also encourages effective digestion and may reduce instances of gastrointestinal problems. Score!

• Slow-Feed Food Bowls

Whoa, buddy — Slow it down.

A slow-feed bowl, like the Neater Pet Brands Slow-Feed Bowl on Amazon, can slow down rapid eating, reduce vomiting, improves digestion and aids in weight management.

• No-Spill Water Bowls

An anti-spill water dispensing bowl helps with controlling the speed of water consumption for your beagle, while minimizing the amount of water that spills onto your flooring. That sounds like a win-win to me. If you’re in the market for one, Amazon’s got you covered with the Vitalumos No-Spill Water Bowl.

Dry vs. Wet Dog Food: The Pros & Cons

Dry Dog Food Advantage:

Dry dog food remains more popular as for most people it is more convenient and more cost-effective. Kibble is also easier to store and travel with, as it doesn’t go bad if left out.

Nutrition-wise — It’s chock full of protein and carbs and tends to be more energy-dense.

In regards to your beagle’s dental health, the slightly abrasive texture helps maintain healthy dental hygiene. There are even smaller-sized kibble products for improved chewing for puppies.

Wet Dog Food Advantage:

Wet dog food is more hydrating than dry kibble, as it contains more water, and renders it more palatable for beagles.

If your dog doesn’t drink as much water as you think they should, wet dog food can help minimize the risk of dehydration.
Wet dog foods are typically better for beagles with food sensitivities, especially vegetarian formulas.

Dry Dog Food Disadvantage:

Lower quality dry kibble contains more artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives.
Dry kibble can be more difficult to eat due to its texture, which is not helpful for younger beagles.

Wet Dog Food Disadvantage:

If left out, wet dog food may spoil quickly, so keep any leftovers refrigerated.
It can also be very messy if your beagle becomes quite ravenous.

My Beagle Will Only Eat Treats

Congratulations, your beagle has become a spoiled brat.
The audacity to think that they can call the shots. Are you kidding me?!
Make them aware that you will not be playing this game.

Don’t worry too much about this. If you don’t provide them treats and they have no options, they’ll default back to their regular meals.

Don’t let them lead you to believe that they will suffer if they don’t eat every couple of hours. Don’t let those cute eyes fool you.

How Long Can My Beagle Go Without Eating?

As long as he or she has access to water, a healthy (both physically and mentally) and fit adult beagle can last days without food — of course, that isn’t advisable by any stretch of the imagination.

Fortunately, with most well-balanced beagles, they will give in long before the days stretch.

FYI: If you have a young puppy, elderly beagle, or a beagle with a health issue; entering into a battle for the ages to see who will back down first is not a good idea.

My Sick Or Recovering Beagle Won’t Each Much

Stress brought on by illness can cause many changes in your beagle’s body.
Consequentially; their activity level may plummet, making them less prone to craving their normal amount of food intake.

Given this scenario, it will be necessary to encourage your dog’s appetite, to ensure their proper nutrition for proper healing and recovery. Your veterinarian will likely provide guidance as to the best way to do this.

They are likely to suggest tempting them with meals and treats that you know they enjoy.
They’ll tend to like warm, moist food with a strong flavor profile.
Smaller meals with greater frequency tend to be easier on their digestive tract.

My Older Beagle Isn’t Eating Well

Older beagles tend to have a lowered appetite, as their senses of taste and smell can decline with age. In addition, lowered activity levels will mean less energy expenditure, meaning they won’t need to consume as much daily.

That being said, if they continue to consume the same amount of food, with a lowered amount of activity, that will likely result in weight gain. If your beagle keeps losing weight while not eating much or not at all, that usually indicative of an underlying problem that you’ll wish to have examined by their veterinarian.

Older or chronically ill beagles that consume too little over a period of time, may lose not only bodyweight but lean muscle mass. You can’t help offset this by offering smaller meals with high protein and fat content.

My Younger Beagle Or New One Won’t Eat

If your beagle stops eating, be very suspicious.
They should have quite a voracious appetite at this stage — except perhaps if they’re teething. It may simply be uncomfortable for them. If you need more insight, we’ve discussed teething for beagle puppies extensively here: Beagle Teething: A Comprehensive Guide

Even so, if your beagle pup seems well otherwise, consult your veterinarian if they stop eating for more than a few hours.

If your beagle (age indifferent) is a new addition to your home, moving can be very stressful for a dog. He or she may need some time to readjust to their new surroundings. It’s okay to spoil them for the first few days with treats or whatever it takes.

Their emotional health is of paramount importance at this point, not your ability to control their food intake. Once adjusted, then you can normalize their diet.
This process shouldn’t exceed a week or two.

Conclusion

If your beagle doesn’t eat or doesn’t eat much, it can be indicative of a health-related issue.

If he or she starts to look underweight, ill; or you just are concerned for their well-being, have them checked by their veterinarian.

If they will not eat nor drink, they need to see the vet now. Like now-now.

If your adult beagle hasn’t eaten within 24 hours, take them to the vet — even if they don’t exhibit any other symptoms. Unless you know there’s a good reason, like they were just introduced into your household.

As puppies are overactive powerhouses, they will eat more frequently than adult dogs.
With that, a lack of appetite is highly atypical.
If they are refusing two consecutive meals, have them checked.

In general: Whenever in doubt, get thee to the veterinarian post-haste.

Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases made through affiliate links on this site. The commissions do not impact the price you pay for those products, nor do they influence which product(s) we may or may not recommend on this site. After all — we just want your beagle to be happy and healthy.