6 Signs Your Dog's Current Diet Isn't Working for Him

Coat, stool, energy, weight — the body reports on the bowl. Here's what to watch.

A diet can be complete on paper and still be a poor match for the individual dog eating it. Dogs can't tell you a food isn't agreeing with them, but their bodies report it anyway — you just have to know where to look. 1

The six signals

One: a dull, dry, or flaky coat that doesn't improve with grooming. Two: consistently soft stool or frequent gas. Three: energy dips — a dog who fades on walks he used to finish easily. Four: gradual unexplained weight gain or loss on the same portions. Five: constant hunger or, at the other end, chronic disinterest in the bowl. Six: recurring ear or skin irritation that keeps coming back after treatment. 2

One signal is a clue. Several together are a pattern.

Any single sign has a dozen possible causes, many unrelated to food. What matters is clustering: a dull coat plus soft stool plus low energy on the same diet, persisting for weeks, is worth acting on — starting with a conversation with your vet, not a shelf full of new bags. 3

Rule of thumb: judge a diet on a timescale of weeks, on the dog in front of you, not on the marketing on the bag. 1