Our mature dog -- maybe eight years old -- has eaten two meals a day since we brought him home. Dry food, about a coffee cup full, in the morning and evening. In the last several days, he's simply lost interest in his evening meal. I know some older dogs only eat once a day, but this one has eaten twice a day since we found him. Should we be concerned?

I think a vet appt. is a good idea. Just to get him a once over! A decrease in appetite could be many things. It could be as simple as a change in their environment. It could also be a gum disease, and his teeth are hurting him. It could even be something more serious, which you would want to catch early. A loss of appetite could mean anything from a hormonal disorder, an illness that could affect the kidneys, liver or pancreas, to cancer or heart disease where fluid builds up in the chect cavity and causes a decrease in appetite. I would get him checked out just to be on the safe side.

See the ''My dog won't eat'' section of the sticky.