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Arlo
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« on: May 17, 2008, 08:52:52 AM » |
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I have two part time jobs (long story): one at university and one at community college.
The community college shares a vet tech program with a Massachusetts CC. I teach chemistry for that program. We have about 65 students enrolled.
OK, make the long story short, Arlo. I've talked to some colleagues and we want to expand the animal nutrition program to include helping people with homemade food. Community colleges do not get money from big business. I think we can get away with it. Vet schools are under pressure from their sponsors. Maybe we can work bottom up. I think people would want this help. Being told by a vet you can't do it doesn't help. Advice from a tech, even if it's sources of research, I think would be helpful.
Most of animal nutrition is zoo animals, lab animals, and farm animals. The text book says find a good commercial food for pets. The nutrition teacher, zoology teacher, lab teacher are in this with me. We'd like to start a unit on pet nutrition. If there is interest, we'd like to do an entire semester on it as an elective.
I'm thinking we can start a new trend on the grass roots level. I would like your thoughts and suggestions.
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lesliek
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« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2008, 08:56:44 AM » |
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Arlo- That is a great idea ! I have to go mil sit but will think about it while I'm gone.
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"the world's most inept extortionist"
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Sandi K
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« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2008, 09:09:57 AM » |
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Wow Arlo, such a great idea! I would think starting with the 2007 pet food recall and the chain of events that led to that might be a good place to begin. You could move from there to "what is in commercial pet food and why and is it necessary". Then from there you could bring in all sorts of commercial pet food and examine the ingredients one by one so that they could learn what each of those ingredients actually are. Then you could have a section of "making your own pet food" with the idea the ingredients would be as healthy as possible.....the nix of that would be making sure they know where their ingredients are coming from i.e. are they really from the U.S., etc and are those ingredients really safe and are they even necessary..... perhaps at some point you would be able to find a vet that also wants safer food who would sign on to help. One thing though is you might want to start with dog food first as everything I have read indicates its a little easier to make home-made for dogs than it is kitties and then move on to kittie food with the more specific requirements it has. P.S. Working where you do I dont suppose you have any vets there that would be able to suggest some things to test for in pet food in cases like Jellie and the fancy Feast issue....? Edited to add: Arlo, I just have to say, you are one compassionate man and I enjoy reading all the posts and info and ideas you come up with. Your mama or daddy or both taught you well.  |
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« Last Edit: May 17, 2008, 09:37:48 AM by Sandi K »
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trudy1
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« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2008, 10:11:18 AM » |
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Arlo, this sounds wonderful. I mean it, sounds fantastic to Me. You are a great person, Arlo. Now We'll all want to be in Mass. so we can help  |
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Donna
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« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2008, 10:32:14 AM » |
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Great thinking cap concept, Arlo!
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Disclaimer: Opinions, thoughts & premises are my own, except links & quotes.
"Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." Rumi
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3catkidneyfailure
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« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2008, 10:45:31 AM » |
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I'll join the chorus of saying this is a terrific idea, Arlo. Raid the forum threads on making
your own food and the library on companion animal food and nutrition.
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catmom5
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« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2008, 10:48:39 AM » |
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WONDERFUL IDEA!!! I say go for it ~ and thanks for your commitment and compassion for all critters. Seems as if this is the ONLY way that things are going to change. Keep us posted.
Blessings
catmom5
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catwoods
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« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2008, 04:21:25 PM » |
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Sound like a great idea that can have far reaching effects. A big round of loud approving MEOWS coming from my gang on this.
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catbird
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« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2008, 05:54:27 PM » |
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Thank you, Arlo! this is a great way to help pets, now and into the future.
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"When Mother Nature saw fit to remove the tail of the Manx, she left, in place of the tail, more cat." --Mary Stewart
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kaffe
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« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2008, 06:28:29 PM » |
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I want to enroll! Could there be a distance-learning module too?
First question from a wanna-be student:
I've always wondered about the phosphate binder aluminum hydroxide that people use for CRF kitties. I read that the aluminum molecule is too big to be absorbed through a cat's intestinal wall and that's why it is safe to use in the long term... the metal is simply excreted out (with the bound phosphorus). Is this true?
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« Last Edit: May 18, 2008, 06:33:36 PM by kaffe »
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"A righteous man respects the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." (Prov. 12: 10)
"The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it" (Old Chinese Proverb)
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Sandi K
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« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2008, 06:34:55 PM » |
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Kaffe, I agree I was thinking I want to take that class too! Maybe they would let us enroll via distant learning capability........
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Arlo
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« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2008, 04:07:22 PM » |
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I like the idea of a distance learning pet nutrition course. I'll bring it up at the meeting this week.
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Poco
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« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2008, 04:43:36 PM » |
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Just saw this. I think it is a really exciting idea, Arlo! There is a food co-op in Seattle that has several stores and they hold cooking classes and demos...wonder if they would sponsor something like this? I'm still a member even though I'm too far away to shop there, but I could send them a suggestion.
Best wishes on this, Arlo!
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"Our country is now geared to an arms economy bred in an artificially induced psychosis of war hysteria and an incessant propaganda of fear." ----General Douglas MacArthur
"American GIs are not toy soldiers to be moved around on some global game board." ----General Colin Powell
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JessiesGirl
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« Reply #13 on: May 19, 2008, 06:44:00 PM » |
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It sounds like a fantastic idea to me and I would enroll in a course such as this if it were offered.
If, for some reason, you don't get the enrollment you are seeking, it would make a fantastic "Continuing Education"' Course.
Do vets need to earn a certain number of credits per year in order to maintain their licenses? Lord, I hope so, considering I had to when I adjusted insurance claims and this seems to be a wee bit more important! If so, then advertise it to all the vets within an hour or so drive of your classroom facilities!!
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trudy1
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« Reply #14 on: May 29, 2008, 05:54:07 PM » |
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Arlo, Where are you? We miss you? Let us know what's going on  |
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