How long is too long
- Dogs: 24–48 hours
- A healthy adult dog that skips a meal but is drinking, active and otherwise normal can usually be watched for a day. Past 48 hours — or any appetite loss with other symptoms — call us.
- Cats: 24 hours, no more
- Cats are different. A cat that stops eating for a day needs attention; an overweight cat that stops eating can develop hepatic lipidosis, a serious liver condition, within days.
- Puppies, kittens & seniors: sooner
- Young and old patients have no reserves to fall back on. Same-day call if a puppy, kitten or senior pet won’t eat.
- Diabetic pets: immediately
- A diabetic pet that won’t eat can’t safely stay on its insulin schedule. That is a same-day conversation, every time.
Red flags — call today
- Vomiting or diarrhea with it
- Appetite loss plus stomach or bowel signs can dehydrate a small pet fast.
- Drooling, pawing, bad breath
- Think mouth: dental pain, a stuck foreign object, or nausea.
- Drinking much more — or not at all
- Either direction matters. Both point toward internal disease.
- Hiding, lethargy, weight loss
- The pattern matters more than any single meal. Trust it.
- Toxin or foreign-body risk
- New medications, houseplants, string, bones, rat poison out in the barn — do not wait and see.
What we’ll do
- History & hands-on exam
- Temperature, hydration, oral exam, abdominal palpation — the basics find more than owners expect.
- In-house lab
- Bloodwork and urinalysis from our own lab, usually the same visit: kidney, liver, blood sugar, infection.
- Imaging when needed
- Digital X-ray and ultrasound to look for obstructions and organ changes.
Appetite loss
Cat not eating
Dog not eating
Same-day care
In-house lab
