Learn All About Pet Food
- What Pets Eat
- Making/Manufacturing Pet Food
- For Dogs, Cats, Birds and other Types of Pets
- Toxins, Safety, Storage, Handling and more
Course Contents
This course involves 9 lessons of self paced study as outline below
1. Scope and Nature of Animal Food
Introduction to Pet Food Industry
Industry origins from 19th century
Principles of Taste
Principles of Nutrition
Ingredients and feed components
Protein
Carbohydrates
Fats
Minerals and Vitamins
Minerals & Vitamins for Cats, Dogs, Birds, Fish, Reptiles, Rodents and Rabbits
Food Categories - dry, semi moist, retorted, pasteurised, chilled, pellets, flakes, etc
2. Processing and Manufacturing
Processing technology and equipment
Chillers and Freezers
Documented Production Practices and Controlling Risks
Potential Risks
Personal Hygiene
Contamination Risk
Ingredient Controls - purchasing, receipting, storage, pest control, cleaning, premises and equipment
Processing Techniques and Quality
Heat Treatment and Process Control
Air Exchange Heat Gains
Occupancy Heat Gains
Heavy Work
Lighting Heat Gains
Sampling, Testing Calibration
Record Keeping
Product Tracing and Recall
What Triggers a Recall
Using Batch Numbers and production Dates
Issuing a Recall
Voluntary vs Involuntary Recalls
Identifying new ingredients - Techniques
Insects as a pet food source
Insect Meal and Dry Food
Insects and Domesticated Fowl
Insects as Feed for Dogs and Cats
Insects for Fish and other Aquatic Life
Insects for Reptiles and Amphibians
Insects and Nutrition
Gut Lading
How to Raise Insects
Mealworms
Black Soldier Fly Farming
3. Preservation and Storage
Introduction
Freezing
Why Freeze Pet Food
Problems with Freezing
Vacuum Packaging
Refrigeration
Chilling Meat
Chilling Fish
Chilling Milk
Drying or Dehydration
Storing Produce
Vegetables - curing, cooling
Storing Root Crops
Grain -silos, storage bags, bunkers, underground pits
Seeds
Cold Storage with or without Humidity Control
Cold and Cool Room for Seed Banks
Preserving
Artificial Preservatives
Nitrates and Nitrites
Sorbates
Antioxidant Preservatives
Sulphites
Chelating Agents
Natural Preservatives
4. Canine Nutrition and Feeding
Introduction - Unique Canine Factors
Caloric Need Calculations
Protein Sources
Carbohydrate Sources
Fat Sources
Raw Diet Controversy, Risks and Benefits
Problems with Raw Feeding
Canine Digestive System
Canine Dietary Requirements
Nutrition Depending on Age - puppies, senior dogs, aged dogs
Nutrition Depending on Health Status - pregnancy, lactation, underweight
Protein Sources - eggs, different meat types
Fat Sources - peanut butter, olive oil, flax oil, coconut oil
Carbohydrate Sources - rice, sweet potato, pumpkin, etc
Probiotics
Obese Dog Diets
Protein
Water
Nutrition Depending on Activity
Working and High Performance Diet
5. Feline Nutrition and Feeding
Introduction - Unique Feline considerations
Wet Food versus Dry Food
Resting Metabolic Rate Calculation
Protein Sources
Raw Food Diets Controversy, Risks and Benefits
Feline Digestive System
Feline Dietary Requirements
Nutrition Depending on Age - birth to 12 months, senior and aged
Nutrition Depending on Health Status
Pregnant or Lactating Diet
Underweight Diet
Overweight Diet
6. Feeding Birds, Fish, Rodents, Rabbits, and Reptiles
Bird Feeding
Parrots
Pellets for birds
Mash/Chop for parrots
Seeds, Beans, Nuts - for birds
Treats for Birds
Bird Feeding Fowl
Stages of Growth
Feed Components for Fowl
Poultry - pellets, grain, mash
Chickens
Egg layers diet
Feed for Broilers - starter feed, finisher feed
Duck Diet
Turkey Diet
Fish Feeding
Pelleted Fish Feed
Live Fish Feed - Daphnia, Shrimp, Worms
Night lights for fish
Fishmeal and Oil meals
Fish Food Production - beef heart, legumes, seafood & vegetable mix
Rodent feeding
Mice diet & what to avoid
Rat diet and what to avoid
Hamster Diet and what to avoid
Guinea Pig diet and what to avoid
Chinchilla diet and what to avoid
Common rodent provisions
Rabbit Feeding
Rabbit Digestion
Rabbit Diet - blended diet, pellets, fresh foods, grasses/ hay, leafy greens, vegetables, calcium
Reptile Feeding - snakes, lizards, chelonians
Food for reptiles
Snakes
Chelonians - turtles, tortoises -aquatic, terrestrial
Lizards - review of various species
7. Toxins in Animal Foods
Toxic Components to Avoid
Allium Family plants
Responses to Poisoning
Responses to Allergies
Emergency Response
Types of Additives in Pet Foods
Antifungals
Antioxidants
Pellet Binders
Feed Flavours
Digestion Modifiers
Metabolism Modifiers
Health Modifiers
Consumer Acceptance
8. Regulatory Controls for the Pet Food Industry
Introduction
HACCP Plan
Labelling
Ingredient Lists
Disposing of Animal By Products
9. Feed Selection, Diet Formulation and End-Product Sales
Introduction
Ultimate Goals of Pet Food Marketing in store or online
Understanding the Purchaser
Taking a New Product to Market
Wholesaling
Retail, Online or Mail Order
Online Sales
B2B
Farmers Markets
This course will deepen your knowledge of what different domesticated animals eat. You will learn how that food is made, handled, stored and provided to those animals - in particular pets.
Knowing these things will improve your capacity to work in any sector of the pet industry, including:
- Pet Shops
- Pet Food Manufacturing
- Animal Shelters
- Kennels and Catteries
- Breeders
- Pet Therapy
- Veterinary Services
- Pet Food Logistics
This knowledge also has value for people working with animals on farms or zoos
This course can provide an opportunity to improve your employability in your efforts to find work with animals; or may be used to fill a gap in your existing knowledge and skills set.