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How Long Can Huskies Go Without Food? (Must Know)

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How Long Can Huskies Go Without Food?
How long can Huskies go without food?

We never want to see our fur babies sick, hurting, or unable or unwilling to eat. And, of course, we’ve all seen videos or heard stories of dogs who were just skin and bones, just barely surviving after being abandoned to live on the streets.

Based on this, we know that, technically speaking, huskies can go days and even weeks without food, but that is not to say that it is ever the norm or that it is acceptable that they are without food. 

However, despite our best efforts, there still may be times when our huskies lose their appetite and refuse to eat. The time for more serious concern usually comes after they go more than a day, or a full twenty-four hours, without eating or drinking anything. In these cases, it is best to get your dog in to see a vet right away.

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4 Reasons why a Husky might refuse to eat 

1. Your Husky is sick

There are quite a few possible reasons why a husky might refuse to eat. The first possible reason is illness and disease. When a dog doesn’t feel good, the last thing they usually want to do is eat. 

There are any number of diseases and illnesses that can cause a dog to feel unwell and not want to eat. Just a few examples include pancreatitis, kidney disease, infection, and cancer, but there are many more. 

Additionally, an intestinal obstruction, like swallowing a sock or other object they shouldn’t have, can easily lead to a serious blockage in the GI system and result in the dog not eating. 

If it has been twenty-four hours since your dog last ate, you definitely need to get to a vet to rule out anything serious. In addition to illness, your dog may be refusing to eat because of pain.

Just like us humans, dogs can get injuries to their mouth and teeth that can make it painful to eat solid, hard food. Inspect your dog’s mouth for any signs of tenderness or inflammation, and try feeding your dog some wet food. 

Your Husky is not eating because they feel sick
Aww, poor Husky doesn’t feel well. 😟 Image from @leothegreatpup

2. Your Husky is stressed and anxious

Another cause for why a husky may not want to eat is because of stress and anxiety. Maybe something has recently changed in the home, like the addition of a new baby or a new pet. Or maybe your dog’s food bowl is by the washing machine, and it has been making a weird noise lately, so your dog is too scared to go over to it and eat its food. 

Perhaps you have another dog in the house that is displaying some aggressive behavior around food, so your husky doesn’t feel comfortable eating around that dog. 

3. Your Husky is fussy!

Fussy Husky doesn't want to eat food
Fussy Husky wants a better snack! 😂 Image from @smac_husky

It could also be that your dog doesn’t like having to bend its neck down to the floor to get to its food. Consider getting a food bowl stand to help raise the bowl up to a more comfortable level. These are commonly available in pet stores, but you can also make a DIY food bowl stand or simply try placing the bowl on a higher surface that your dog can still reach, like a shelf. 

4. Your Husky wants you to spice up their diet

It’s also possible that your dog has simply gotten bored of the food you’ve been feeding it! An easy way to test this is to see if your dog will take treats from you. If your dog is willing to eat treats but not its kibble, it may be that he has gotten bored of the food. Consider switching to a different dog food

If the particular brand you have been feeding works really well for your dog, you could just switch to a different protein source from that same brand. For example, if you’ve been feeding a chicken-based kibble, switch to a beef or lamb-based kibble from that same brand. Moreover, if you don’t want to go as far as completely switching your dog’s food, there are other things you can do to entice him to eat, which we’ll discuss later on. 

If your dog is craving treats instead of dinner, don’t let them get full from their treats! Just like kids, huskies can get full from eating snacks before their main meal and will not want to eat. If you have a picky eater or your dog only wants snacks, you could also try “tricking” your dog into eating his kibble by hand-feeding his kibble and offering the pieces of food to the dog as treats. 

Related article:

How to encourage your husky to eat 

One of the easiest ways to entice a dog to eat is to add some warm water directly to their kibble and let it soak for five to ten minutes. This will make the kibble really soft and mushy, which will be easier for your dog to eat. It also makes the food smell stronger and may make it even more enticing to your dog. 

Another thing you can do is add toppers to your dog’s food. This can be a commercial store-bought topper designed to help encourage picky eaters to eat. You could even try just a spoonful or two of wet dog food. Or it could be something as simple as a few bites of shredded, plain, cooked chicken breast. 

Encouraging a Husky to eat
Delicious and fun to play with! 😂 Image from @maomao.husky

What to do if you think someone may be neglecting their dog 

Depending on the severity of the situation, in many cases, it is appropriate to contact the proper authorities in your area. Thankfully, cases of animal abuse and neglect are starting to be taken much more seriously in the eyes of the law, and the authorities will be able to determine if there is a case of neglect once a report has been made and investigated. 

Final takeaways about how long Huskies can go without food

Huskies are not known for being dogs who overstuff themselves with food. They are usually really good about knowing exactly how much food they need to eat. But there are some cases where our dogs can start to get a little bit picky about their food or maybe aren’t feeling well. We don’t want our pups going without food for too long, so it is important to try to get them to eat and to try to figure out what might be causing their decrease in appetite. 

Does your Husky eat on a schedule or when they feel like it?

Comment below.

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Author
Max Jacobs
Max Jacobs is the owner and lead author of Husky Gifts. He loves spending time with his family, who have two huskies. Max loves to write and is passionate about creating interesting and engaging content. To learn more, visit the team section of the about page.

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