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ANEQ 322 - Pet Nutrition
- 2 credits
An estimated 60% of behavior problems in dogs and cats are diet related. This course strives to provide students with a basic understanding of dietary requirements for healthy, happy companion animals. Topics covered include basic nutrients, nutrient requirements, feeding practices, prescription diets, developments in pet foods, and sources of nutrients for traditional domestic pets as well as exotics, birds, and wildlife.
This course has print-based exams that require a proctor. A Proctor Agreement Form will be required. ProctorU is not available for this course.
Prerequisite
ANEQ 320 (Principles of Animal Nutrition); ANEQ 345 (Principles of Nutrition: Equine Applications); FSHN 350 (Human Nutrition).
Textbook and Materials
No textbook is required for this course.
Instructors
Nancy Irlbeck
(970) 491-6274 | Nancy.Irlbeck@colostate.edu
Nancy Irlbeck, Ph.D., is the Associate Dean of Academic Programs in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University and serves as a nutrition consultant to the Denver Zoo.
Brett Kirch
(970) 491-6642 | brett.kirch@colostate.edu
Dr. Brett Kirch grew up on a small farm in the Nebraska Panhandle close to Lewellen, Nebraska. Brett received his B.S. in animal science from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and worked as an Extension aide in Garden County, Nebraska, during those years. He attended Kansas State University for an M.S. in ruminant nutrition where he was introduced to the forage-animal interface through his research project. Brett completed a Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in range and forage sciences working jointly between the agronomy and animal science departments in evaluating escape protein in grazed warm-season grasses. Following graduation, Brett took a position with Iowa State University as a regional extension beef specialist in west-central Iowa working in beef, sheep, and horse programming.
Brett’s career took a slight change in direction when he was accepted and graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, with clinical equine rotations at the University of California-Davis.
Brett’s return to research was as a result of a unique post-doctoral position with USDA-ARS Forage-Animal Production Research Unit on the campus of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. His work in Kentucky allowed the unique opportunity to marry his interests in veterinary medicine, forages, and nutrition.
In 2008, Brett became the head of the Youth Livestock Extension program and research at Colorado State University. His research programs continue to look at the health, production, and nutritional aspects of the forage-animal interface.