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I not too long ago accomplished the skilled uncooked feeding course provided by the Billinghurst Institute. This evaluate will cowl the next to assist pet dad and mom make an knowledgeable choice about enrolling on this course:
- Abstract of the course
- The curriculum lined within the course
- How lengthy the course is and the way lengthy it took me to complete the course
- How the course compares to those provided by the Feed Actual Institute
- My key takeaways from the course / the modifications I made to my canines’ weight loss program
However first, let’s discuss Dr. Ian Billinghurst
Who’s Dr. Ian Billinghurst?
I’m assured that most individuals within the uncooked feeding group know Dr. Ian Billinghurst, an Australian veterinarian with over forty years of expertise and a proponent of the uncooked meals weight loss program for pets. He’s primarily identified for advocating the Biologically Acceptable Uncooked Meals (BARF) weight loss program for canines. He authored a number of books on pet diet, together with “Give Your Canine a Bone” and “The BARF Food plan.” Billinghurst advocates feeding canines a weight loss program that resembles what their ancestors would have eaten within the wild, emphasizing uncooked meat, bones, and greens. His work has had a big influence on the pet meals business and has led to elevated consciousness of the advantages of uncooked meals diets for pets.
What’s the Billinghurst Institute?
The Billinghurst Institute was established in 2023 to offer schooling and coaching to make it simpler for individuals to boost animals that dwell longer, more healthy lives via diet. Its admirable imaginative and prescient is to transition 1,000,000 animals to a fresh-food weight loss program by 2030.
Presently, the Institute affords two programs, weekly ask-me-anything fashion periods with Dr. Billinghurst, and shortly, the Institute will probably be providing enterprise classes.
- $297 – Course 1: for pet dad and mom
- $797 – Course 2: pet professionals with certification (what I took)
The Billinghurst Institute will quickly provide a course in enterprise classes, which can cowl methods to conduct consultations, handle e-mail lists, arrange a enterprise, and extra.
Course individuals can even interact within the month-to-month Q&A periods with Dr. Billinghurst at no extra value.
Abstract of the Billinghurst Course
The skilled uncooked feeding course is designed to teach pet homeowners, veterinarians, and pet professionals about the advantages of feeding a uncooked weight loss program to pets.
The course covers subjects such because the historical past of uncooked feeding, the ideas of the Biologically Acceptable Uncooked Meals (BARF) weight loss program, the dietary necessities of canines and cats, sourcing and making ready uncooked meals, feeding practices, and troubleshooting widespread points that will come up when transitioning to a uncooked weight loss program.
Individuals be taught in regards to the significance of species-appropriate diet and the way a uncooked weight loss program can enhance pets’ well being and well-being. The course goals to offer complete information and sensible expertise to assist people in efficiently implementing and sustaining a uncooked meals weight loss program for his or her pets.
Billinghurst Course Curriculum
The next checklist was taken from the course, and whereas I used to be taking the course, I might have appreciated extra particulars for every half/subject. Finally, I simply fell into the groove of the course and went with it.
- Orientation
- Pre-Course
- Half 1 – Uncooked Fundamentals
- Half 2 – Potential Risks of Uncooked
- Half 3 – Diet – An Evolutionary Perspective
- Half 4 – Evolutionary Meals for Cats and Canines
- Half 5 – Sensible Uncooked Feeding for Canines
- Half 6 – Uncooked for Cats
- Half 7 – Skilled Uncooked (for uncooked feeding advocates)
- Half 8 – Uncooked Wrap Up
How Lengthy is the Billinghurst Course?
The skilled course has ten elements. Every half comprises a number of subjects that common quarter-hour every, for a complete of 203 classes and quizzes.
There’s a whole lot of info, which could be daunting; I made it via a couple of subjects of Half 1 a number of months earlier than I accomplished it. After I returned in the summertime of 2024, intending to complete the course earlier than August 17, I wrapped up the rest (197 classes and quizzes) in twelve days.
I discovered it useful to set the velocity to 1.25 and multitask, listening to the course whereas I used to be doing different actions. The course begins slowly, however I discovered the knowledge realized within the first few elements to be invaluable, lending to my confidence that I’m right in my option to hold uncooked feeding easy.
Billinghurst Course vs. Feed Actual Course
The Feed Actual Institute programs centered extra on steadiness, masking the macro and micro vitamins wanted in a canine’s weight loss program, whereas the Billinghurst Institute course takes a extra fundamental path to feeding our canines. Lots of the subjects in each programs align; nonetheless, the programs these organizations provide aren’t apples to apples.
For instance, the Feed Actual Institute programs helped me perceive the advantages of assorted vitamins and the way they work together. The Billinghurst Institute course gave me the boldness to feed my canines with out leaning on a recipe, spreadsheet, or software program. I’ve by no means agreed with the stress to steadiness each nutrient and fats in a canine’s weight loss program – via this course, I really feel extra assured that I’m assembly my canines’ wants just by feeding them recent meals.
I did respect the audio supply of the Billinghurst course, because it allowed me to hear whereas doing different issues. This made it simpler to get via the course and join the knowledge from every half to get the entire image.
My favourite moments within the course had been when Dr. Billinghurst jovially dismissed lots of the beliefs we’ve adopted within the uncooked feeding group, like:
- 80 10 10
- Weighing our canines and feeding a proportion of that weight.
- Treating the center as muscle meat and never an organ.
- The requirement for a number of secreting organs.
- Balancing a canine’s uncooked weight loss program primarily based on AAFCO and FEDIEF pointers.
In my view, uncooked feeding shouldn’t be difficult. We don’t want a level in canine diet to feed our canines. Granted, dropping a pound of floor beef within the bowl and calling it good isn’t applicable, however mixing that floor beef with hen coronary heart, liver, and wings and including some pureed greens to imitate the abdomen content material of prey is suitable.
The most effective a part of the course was a meal prep demonstration by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, which was extra simple than my course of.
Takeaways from the Billinghurst Course
I realized a number of methods to simplify and enhance a canine’s weight loss program. Dr. Billinghurst did an amazing job streamlining uncooked feeding with a uncooked pyramid that helps us visualize methods to put collectively a meal.
Different takeaways embrace:
Reducing the bottom combine. I puree and freeze greens from my backyard for my canines. In the beginning of the summer season, I deliberate to present all of the greens away as a result of I’ve a base combine and Gussy’s Intestine. As a substitute, I’ll cut back the bottom combine I take advantage of to ½ cup and blend my pureed greens into my uncooked blends as a substitute. This may make uncooked feeding simpler and reduce the associated fee by reducing my dependency on a base combine.
I can cease trying to find extra secreting organs. I’ve buddies who’re homesteaders and provides me the organs. I primarily get the center (a muscular organ), liver, and kidneys. Typically, I’m capable of rating the spleen as nicely. Though I wasn’t harassed, I did search for different choices. Now I can cease.
Feed extra uncooked meaty bones. Canines can eat a weight loss program excessive in uncooked meaty bones and stay in good well being. Final yr, I started feeding a meal of uncooked meaty bones a number of days every week. I’ll return to this weight loss program, feeding extra poultry ft, necks, and backs as a result of they’re the simplest RMBs to supply affordably, and my canines do nicely and do not expertise constipation with this weight loss program.
Add extra veggie combine to Zoey’s meals to deal with arthritis irritation. I’ve added extra leafy greens for weight reduction prior to now however utterly ignored all the opposite advantages. Leafy greens are excessive in antioxidants and include calcium and Vitamin C for bone well being and Vitamin A for eye well being. They assist the intestine and immune system and cut back continual irritation. I started changing two ounces of meals with my home made vegetable combine.
The ratios are only a guideline. I’ve all the time identified this, however it’s good to listen to it from Dr. Billinghurst, who repeatedly reminds us that the odds are fluid as a result of what we add to the bowl and the way a lot we feed our canines will depend on every canine.
Veterinarians are skilled to diagnose, not forestall. With the rising prices of veterinarian providers, I finished taking my canines in for annual blood work, selecting as a substitute to belief the weight loss program to work, give attention to my canine’s intestine well being and immune system, and know my canines. I will not cease seeing the vet; I will not go till there’s a want.
Remaining Ideas on the Billinghurst Course
The course began slowly, however as soon as I elevated the velocity to 1.25 and commenced listening whereas doing different actions (strolling, gardening, mowing, and many others.), it glided by rapidly, and I completed the course in twelve days.
The Billinghurst skilled uncooked feeding course gave me the boldness that I am heading in the right direction with my canines’ weight loss program.
Learn Extra About Uncooked Feeding Programs
