Canine nutrition and feeding is important in maintaining a happy, healthy dog. I found this module interesting as I had never really thought about what ingredients go into dog food. This module has taught me about different life stage feeding from puppies to adults to geriatric dogs. Every dog has different needs (e.g., working vs senior) and the dog owner needs to provide a balanced diet. Protein is necessary to repair damaged cells and make new ones and is especially important for young, working, and pregnant animals. This is why protein should be one of the first ingredients on a dog food label. To prevent diseases and build up the dog’s immunity, there needs to be adequate levels of vitamins and minerals (PetMD Editorial, 2011).
The majority of this module’s lectures were online which I didn’t enjoy as I found during the online lessons in lockdown I disengaged and lost motivation. With the online and pre-recorded lectures I got bored as no one engaged so it was just the lecturer talking throughout. I am a practical and visual learner so had to do extra reading to learn the content.
This module consisted of two parts – a feed ident and an exam. In the feed ident, we were given pictures of different ingredients (e.g., chicken meal, alfalfa, beet pulp, whole oats) and we would have to identify the feed and the primary nutrient in each (e.g., protein, starch, fibre, fat). Then we had to explain where and how it is digested along with the whole process of digestion. We also had to give examples of feed you can find it in. We first completed a mock, and after this I felt confident going into the real ident as my feedback was positive and I revised what I needed to improve on. In the real feed ident, I made sure to take my time to ensure I explained the whole process of digestion including all the enzymes and acids involved. The part I found hardest about the feed ident was identifying the different ingredients from the photos because some looked similar. The exam was a 2 hour online exam and consisted of multiple choice and short answer questions. I prefer the short answer questions as it allows me to go into more detail.
A solid understanding of nutrition and feeding will prove beneficial to my growth as a therapist, providing my clients with reassurance that I have some knowledge in the field. However, I acknowledge that I am restricted to operate only within my scope of practice and refer my clients to appropriate multi-disciplinary professionals for any advice or treatment which exceeds my area of expertise and level of qualification (NARCH, 2019).
Obesity is a common problem with dogs in the UK, with about 40% being overweight or obese. Obesity is increasing, especially after the pandemic, 81% of vets are nurses have reported the increase in the number of overweight animals (Scrumbles, 2022). This module has helped me understand how we can ration and alter a dog’s diet to help with obesity.
Reference List:
NARCH (2019). Guide to professional conduct for registered canine hydrotherapists.
PetMD Editorial (2011). The Benefits of Proper Nutrition. [online] www.petmd.com. Available at: https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/evr_dg_the_benefits_of_proper_nutrition.
Scrumbles (2022). Alarming Pet Obesity Statistics in the UK & What You Can Do. [online] Scrumbles: Natural Pet Food. Available at: https://scrumbles.co.uk/blogs/pet-care/alarming-pet-obesity-statistics-in-the-uk-what-you-can-do.