Why Does My Dog Whine After Eating?

Dogs love to eat, but sometimes your dog may not find eating enjoyable. Why does my dog whine after eating? The reasons can be many from simple tooth decay to even complex psychological problems! Read on to find out.

Eating food is one of the favorite activities of your pet friend. Usually, eating is your pooch’s favorite activity, but when you notice that the doggo is whining while eating the food, it can be alarming for you. 

If your pet dog is going through this, you should take your dog to the nearest veterinary clinic for treatment. Your dog will become reluctant to eat food and start losing weight simply because of a lack of appetite. 

Several possible reasons can cause discomfort in your pet friend, such as pain in the stomach, sore throat, overeating, etc. In this article, we will discuss the root causes and, along with that, the possible solutions to this problem. So, let’s get straight into our topic of discussion. 

Why Does My Dog Cry After Eating?

If your dog starts whining and crying right after meal time, you should be wary of the following things:

#1. Having a Sore Throat

Similar to humans, dogs too have tonsils in their throats. The tonsils, under certain circumstances, can cause Tonsillitis. 

Tonsillitis will make swallowing the food difficult for your dog. Due to difficulty swallowing, the dog will cry while consuming the food. You need to get your dog checked, and only a veterinarian can treat the sore throat of your dog. 

#2. Eating Anything Sharp

Dogs love to play with bones. Usually they chew bones thoroughly, and in the chewing process, they also crush some parts of the bone. Your dog might also swallow some of the sharp parts present in the food, mostly bones. 

Once the sharp food particles get into the dog’s body through the oral cavity, the dog will start to experience discomfort. Based on the size of the sharp fragment of food, the severity of the pain can be low to very high. Nonetheless, the dog will start whining due to the pain in its stomach.

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#3. Stomach Ache

Certain types of food can cause discomfort in your dog’s body. If your dog is experiencing stomach aches, then it will start crying loudly after consuming food. Your dog might be allergic to certain types of food, and if you know what foods your dog is allergic to, remove all the food items from your pet friend’s diet. 

Excessive eating

You need to measure the amount of food you are giving to your dog. Puppies usually consume more than the required amount of food in the initial years. 

Giving an excessive amount of food to the dog can make your dog sick. This discomfort will, in turn, make your dog whine after eating. 

Why Does My Dog Cry When He Eats?

In the previous section, we talked about the problem of dogs crying after finishing a meal. Now it is time to talk about the issue that dog owners issue if the dog starts crying while consuming the food. 

#1. Problems in the Mouth

Like humans, dogs also consume food through the oral cavity, and the enzymatic and hormonal actions help in the digestion of the food. Your dog’s teeth can become rotten, and other than that, several other mouth infections can also induce pain while eating.

#2. It is Just a Phase

The age of the dog plays a significant role in food consumption. At an early age, the puppy has a natural habit of whining while consuming the food. Your dog’s habit will soon go away as your puppy will become a fully grown dog. 

You might like to read: Should I Give My Dog A Treat Before Bed?

#3. To Seek Attention

Dogs never break the owner’s trust, and in return, all they want is attention from their owners. They spend a lot of time with the master, whether in the house or outside. 

If you as an owner mostly remain busy and fail to make any time for paying attention to the pet dog. Then your pet friend will whine while consuming the food simply to drag your attention. 

#4. Pain in the Neck and Shoulder

Due to heavy movements, sometimes your dog might go through pain in the neck and shoulder region. So, whenever your dog lifts its face to consume food, the excruciating pain in the said areas can make the dog cry. 

#5. Anxiety Issues

Your behavior towards your dog profoundly impacts the mental health of the animal. If you are too harsh on your dog and are trying hard to make the dog disciplined, this might develop anxiety and stress. 

If you have scolded your pet, it might start whining, and the whining will continue even while eating. On the other hand, if you force your dog to consume the food, then the unwillingness will make your dog anxious. The anxiety will make your dog cry.

#6. Over Excitement

If you notice that the dog is whining only when you serve its favorite meal, there is no problem with your dog’s body. 

This must be happening simply because of excitement. Your pet friend might just be trying to communicate with you, and whining is due to overexcitement. 

Why Does My Dog Whine in the Morning?

#1. Separation Anxiety

Like humans, dogs also suffer from separation issues. If you don’t spend ample time with your pet friend or stay out for long, your dog can whine in the morning before you leave for work. 

#2. Encouragement of the Behavior

Sometimes it is our fault if our dogs whine in the morning or any day. We pamper our furry little friends when they throw tantrums or whine unnecessarily. 

Our reaction encourages them to repeat the same drama again and again. Hence if your dog is whining unnecessarily in the morning, it can be due to our actions. 

You might like to read: My Dog Will Only Eat Once A Day?

#3. Different Sleep Cycle

Like us, dogs also sleep around at a particular time and wake at a specific time. If they don’t sleep well at night, they wake up feeling uneasy and whine in the morning. But sometimes, their sleep cycle is completely disrupted, and they lack proper sleep. 

#4. Having Excess Energy in the Body

Dogs are full of energy and love to release this energy by playing around outside or walking. If they don’t release this energy, they can whine in the morning. Also, morning walks are essential for dogs as it helps them poop easily and also helps them stretch their muscles. If your dog lacks this exercise in the morning, it can whine. 

What Can You Do to Make Your Dog Stop Whining While Consuming Food?

You can stop your dog from whining in the following ways. 

#1. Taking the Dog to a Veterinary Clinic

If your dog is whining continuously, you must think about taking your dog to the vet. Sometimes we think that the dogs are whining because they want our attention, but this is not true in some cases. 

There can be some underlying causes if your dog is repeatedly whining either during or after eating. Hence take it to the vet as they can diagnose your dog correctly and explain what is going on.

#2. Try to Spend More Time WIth Your Pet Friend

Most of the dogs’ activities are there to gain our attention. If your dog whines for a few seconds or minutes while eating, it can be because it asks for your attention. Hence learn to spend time with your dog, treat it like your family member and take it out for physical activities as much as possible.

You might like to read: My Dog Will Only Eat Once A Day?

#3. Rewarding Good Behavior

Try rewarding your dog if it stops whining. This can be the most fruitful way to stop your dog from whining. You can give your dog its favorite treat or take it out for a walk if it stops whining when you ask it to do so. 

Frequently Asked Questions

You might like to read: My Dog Will Only Eat From My Hand?

Final Words

We hope that you have gotten a better idea about this strange behavior of your dog. Your dog might be whining just to gain your attention or to show its happiness. 

If you notice that your dog is experiencing something unusual before, after, and even while consuming the food, then take him to the closest veterinary clinic for treatment purposes. 

We hope you got answers to all your queries here. If you have anything else to share, feel free to write to us.