Request for Information: Pet Nutrition Education - Formal/Informal

I would like to pick the collective brains of the group for a bit. I am looking for information/education on Pet Nutrition formal and or informal. As with many of us here, I have been trying to educate myself on what and how to best feed my fur children. The forums and knowledgeable members here have been a wealth of information. I have read Dr. Marty's book - The Nature Of Animal Healing and Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health For Dogs & Cats, and I come to the conclusion that there is a lot more that I want to learn.

I would like to learn more for a number of reasons.

1 - To be able to best understand the needs of my own animals so that I can keep them as healthy and happy as possible.

2 - To be able to help educate others with feeding the best they can to their own companions. This has over the last 8 months, become a passion for both my wife and I.

3 - To be able to not just regurgitate what I learn, but to actually understand it so that I can apply it to everyday living and help others do the same.

4 - To be able at some time in the future (possibly when I retire from the day job a few years from now) take what I have/am learning and turn it into a business where the focus is providing the best foods and nutrition information available to others.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and possibly respond.
Bill

Two of my favourite websites that I refer to frequently are:

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/ .....click on all the links on the left hand side of the page.

http://www.dogaware.com/dogfeeding.html .....all the blue and purple highlighted parts have additional information.

Thanks Rainbow

One of the best books on general cat care, with a big focus on nutrition, is this one by Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins: Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life (http://www.amazon.com/Your-Cat-Simple-Secrets-Stronger/dp/0312358016). She was the only vet to speak at the Senate committee meetings regarding the massive pet food recall last year. Here is some of what she had to say:
http://www.mousabilities.com/nutrition/testimony.html
http://www.mousabilities.com/nutrition/rebuttal.html


Some good websites and articles on feline nutrition:
http://www.catinfo.org/
http://www.catinfo.org/zorans_article.pdf
http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm
http://www.catnutrition.org/index.php

Thanks SCM - I will definitely try to find that book, and for the links as well.

Bill

Just ordered the book .. should be here mid October when it is released. By the description, there should be some good reading.

In this controversial new book, dedicated veterinarian Elizabeth M. Hodgkins, D.V.M., Esq., raises the alarm regarding the serious flaws in the commercial diets we feed our cats and the nutritional diseases that result. Your Cat turns today’s conventional wisdom of cat care on its head with completely new yet remarkably easy-to-follow guidelines for every cat owner.

Features include:

The real problem with pet foodsParasites, vaccines, and litter-box trainingObesity and feline diabetesPreventative nutrition for the older catThe ten great myths of cat care
From kitten-rearing to the adult cat’s middle years to caring for the geriatric cat, Dr. Hodgkins explores the full spectrum of proper cat care, as well as rampant deadly feline diseases like hyperthyroidism, asthma, skin allergies, and gum disease. She provides an explanation of the origin and thorough discussion of the very latest treatments. Illuminated by brief case histories from illness to health, this indispensable manual is one book that every modern cat owner must have on their shelf.