My Dog Skips Breakfast
Here are a few common things I hear from pet parents:
My dog isn’t interested in breakfast
My dog is a picky eater
I have to do so much to get my dog to eat
My dog gets bored with their food so I have to frequently switch it up
My dog seems to go in bouts of eating grass and throwing up
While these may be common things I hear, they may be indicators that something else is up.
According to Dr. Ballantyne (2025, July 10), “Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases are among the most common causes or contributing factors to the behavioral challenges we encounter in our veterinary behavior practice. In fact, in some of our canine and feline patients, a behavior change is their ONLY symptom of their GI disease.”
Our cat Take’s excessive grooming, a new behavior for our 14 year old, raised a red flag for us that something was not right with our buddy. His appetite and stools were normal, his energy level was normal, and his behaviors were pretty consistent for him so otherwise there didn’t seem to be anything wrong. Because he seemed to pull out hair on his back legs we initially thought something was going on structurally but a long story short, he was having gastro pain and there was nothing wrong with his hind limbs.
When I work with clients, I have a list of questions on my history form which may seem strange to ask regarding what they eat and how consistently, poop frequency and quality, occurrence of gassiness, gut gurgling, having reflux, and eating non-food items. I like to ask clients to rate poop using the Purina Fecal Rating Chart as I’ve found what seems normal for one pet parent may in fact not be normal for dogs in general. It’s not uncommon for a pet parent to say “my dog’s poop is fine” but when we look at the rating chart they report #3-5 with occasional 6 and even 7. I ask about the dog’s position when they pee and poop as this too can be an indicator that something is structurally off, e.g. my dog doesn’t squat still when he pooped but starts doing this kind of dance moving from one spot to the next.
There is a growing body of science examining linkages between the gut biome and the brain. Gut health significantly impacts pet behavior in various ways, including neurotransmitter production and overall well-being. Hence some of these subtle signs may be important factors to investigate.
If your pet shows behavior changes and any signs of possible GI trouble, consult with your vet or veterinary behaviorist. An initial evaluation may include:
A veterinary exam
Intestinal parasite screening and a diarrhea PCR panel
A nutritional trial with a highly digestible or novel protein diet
Veterinary-approved prebiotics and probiotics that support the gut microbiome
In some cases, a full workup including blood tests, abdominal ultrasound, and dysbiosis index may be warranted, especially if the issues are ongoing or worsening.
Cheers, Tracy
Ballantyne, K. (2025, July 10). Is Your Pet’s Gut Making Them Moody? The Gut–Brain Connection and Common GI Signs that People Miss & Dismiss. Insightful Animals, https://insightfulanimals.substack.com/p/is-your-pets-gut-making-them-moody
