Although we don’t know why you’re searching for this phrase, and we hope things get better, the lack of information on this subject concerns us enough to provide some useful guidance to help those looking for the answer.
First things first is to make clear the distinction between will a dog starve itself and will a dog starve itself to death. What we’ve usually found online is people will answer the latter with a description for the former but that really isn’t the case. So let’s break it down.
Generally speaking, a dog can intentionally starve themselves by avoiding eating for several reasons, with the most common being a digestive problem such as gastroenteritis, a bug or an underlying injury which has taken their appetite away.
You can give them the very best wet dog food, but they just won’t have it. However, they aren’t starving themselves – their body is simply telling them to not allow any more in until the issue is resolved.
However, they are not starving themselves purposefully. They are just not eating. There is no conscious decision, it’s a physiological one.
Will a dog starve itself to death?
Technically, a dog can starve to death just like any living organism, but it’s highly unlikely that it will do so. If you feel your dog is purposefully avoiding their food, you need to look into the situation and get them checked by a vet immediately.
Do dogs understand death?
According to Science Daily a dog has the equivalent of the mind of a 2 year old – 2 year olds do not understand the concept of life or death or what it means to be and not be.
According to Psychology Today a dog can feel depressed and disconnect from its surrounding but still retains strong canine survival instincts.
This can be seen in the disturbing stories of abandoned dogs who are so desperate to stay alive that they will resort to eating inedible materials.
Death is difficult, and for some complex, subject so it seems unreasonable to imagine a dog understanding that their life could end at some point as the reality is that they probably don’t understand how life began, either. In reality, when dogs observe death they simply see it as ‘one day they were there and now they are not’. It can lead to depression but not suicidal thoughts. This can also explain why some dogs are obsessed with waiting at their owner’s grave – they believe they will just come back – they can’t accept something they don’t understand.
There is an urban legend of a dog suicide bridge in the world, however, the scientific best guess is in fact something as simple as the scent of prey and the fact that the bridge does not look like a drop when observed.
Do dogs understand that starvation will kill them?
It is a bit of a stretch that a dog would understand that starvation will lead to a concept they don’t understand – death. All they know is that hunger is satiated by food but not that it will kill them.
A dog may be starving for a number of reasons, a dog may appear to be purposefully starving themselves because of injury or illness which causes the hunger chemical ghrelin to not be present. A loss of an appetite is the absence of ghrelin.
Have you ever had a serious illness such as the flu, norovirus or even a serious injury that was left untreated? These conditions make people just not want to eat – but no one would say they are starving themselves and certainly not to death.
What about anorexia?
Dogs CAN get anorexia, which is a series of illnesses caused by an extreme lack of nutrition. However, dogs don’t get anorexia because they are trying to starve themselves but because they are starving due to an underlying condition whether mental or physical. The key point here is the intent – humans can develop anorexia due to body dysmorphia or an extreme desire to become thin and not because they are attempting to kill themselves.
Conclusion
We can guarantee that a dog who appears to be starving themselves has an underlying condition making them not have an appetite or be able to swallow their wet food. Dogs have a very strong survival instinct which will drive them to do anything they can to survive, this along with their inability to understand suicide and death means it’s unfounded that a dog will purposefully starve themselves.
If you believe your dog may be doing so, take them to see a veterinarian immediately.
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My five-year-old Maltipoo… Has had an ulcer that he was treated for but now he’s refusing to eat he may eat every other day hard kibble Royal Canin… And Hill’s science… He eats his treats but when it’s mealtime he doesn’t want to eat… I take the treats away for a couple of days… He still won’t eat he’s very energetic when we go to play or take a walk but he just does not have good eating habits… I have tried every dog foods on the market I’ve tried with the vet test prescribed still he does not eat… His last exam I was given a bottle of entice to help him become interested in food but ever since he was treated for an ulcer is eating habits have gone downhill… I know I need to take him to see specialist to have an endoscopy done but I just don’t have the funds to do so and I was quoted $2,500 to $3,000
Hi Marsha, I feel you pain, My 4 1/2 year old Yorkie Poo will not eat or drink, he has been this way for over a week now. I have taken him to 3 ED vets, our Vet and an Urgent Care Vet. They have done blood work 3x, a scan and an Ultrasound and they unable to figure out the cause. I have tried the Chicken, hamburger, broth, baby food, even Pedialyte he does not want anything. I even attempted to feed him with a Syringe but he just moves his head and at times tries to bit me. He will lick some water from my fingers and maybe a few licks from the bowl but not much else. I have googled to see what my be causing him to feel this way, all the articles say pretty much the same. The Vets also mentioned seeing a specialist but I also can not afford it, it breaks my heart to see him deteriorating and not being able to do much 🙁