In the wake of the terrible Menu Foods
poisoned pet-food recall, there was a surge of interest in learning
how to feed companion dog and cats real food, whether raw or cooked. Many
people are interested in learning more about a home-prepared diet and how
to do it for their pets, but feel confused by how to start and where to
find materials. Many people also think that feeding a home-prepared diet
must be excessively costly, messy, or time-consuming.
As part of our community outreach efforts, ARF
Co-op began offering "how-to" classes beginning in the fall of 2007. We
taught "Healthy, Home-Prepared Pet Diets" through UT Informal Classes in both the
fall 2007 and spring 2008 semesters. We no longer teach through UT
Informal Classes, but periodically offer the class privately for coop members and
friends. We are also available to teach a full or abbreviated
version for breed clubs,
rescue groups, and shelters. Contact us
us if you are interested in scheduling a presentation or class for your
organization.
During the "Healthy, Home-Prepared Pet Diets" class, co-op members with many years of raw
feeding and home-prepared diet experience will help you--the busy person on a
budget--determine whether or not a home-prepared diet is right for you, and how to select one
that suits your lifestyle and meets the needs of your family pets. We will review several
different kinds of home-prepared diets (Billinghurst, Lonsdale, Volhard, and others) and
discuss resources for further research. We will show you how to source affordable natural
food for the dogs and cats in your household, debunking common myths and demonstrating an
easy system of preparation, storage, and serving.
We also offer a quarterly "Calculations Class" for new and existing coop members who feed
a Billinghurst-style raw diet and want to know how to source and calculate the correct
ratio and amount of food for their pets using coop suppliers. This class is not a survey of
raw diets, but specifically a working session where members use a custom spreadsheet to
determine the monthly food needs and costs for their pets, determining what to order,
how often, and how much.
Thank you again for speaking to our club last night. I think you got some
people thinking about what they feed their dog. We enjoyed your presentation
and think you all have a lot to share, keep up the great work.
Thank You Again,
Mark Daniel
www.shetlandsheepdog.org
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