TERMS TO UNDERSTAND

HUNGER

This is the biological impulse that drives an individual to consume food to meet their energy needs.

ANOREXIA

Anorexia is also a term used to signify loss of appetite and refusal to eat.

APPETITE

Appetite is the desire of an individual to consume food for reasons other than hunger.

INAPPETENCE

This is a term that means a decrease in or loss of appetite. An animal experiencing inappetence would still eat, but in smaller amounts than what they would usually consume.

Perhaps this is too simple an explanation to do the terms justice, but one can say that hunger is a cue to satisfy a physiologic need for sustenance, while appetite denotes an urge to satisfy a want. One can feel hunger without having any appetite, and vice versa.

When Oreo was offered some canned dog food, he did not show any hesitation to eat, to the surprise of his human companions. It was a clue that pointed to the possibility that perhaps he refused his previous meal because he was a picky eater.