Dogs are classified as carnivores, but they like a variety of foods. Whether commercially manufactured or home prepared, dog food needs to provide a nutritionally complete diet to keep animals physically fit and healthy. Different foods provide a balanced diet that meets the dog’s nutrient requirements at specific stages of life.
Four webinars on canine nutrition will be offered in November and December by eXtension Companion Animals, an online resource from Cooperative Extension Services at U.S. land-grant universities.
Upcoming Webinars
Thursday, November 15 from 7-8 p.m. Central Time
Canine Nutrition: An Introduction 
Learn about canine nutrient requirements and how dogs digest and absorb food through the gastrointestinal tract.
Presenter: Dr. Lisa Karr-Lilienthal, Extension Companion Animal Specialist/Instructor University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Karr-Lilienthal received her Master’s and PhD in companion animal nutrition from the University of Illinois. Her research focused on nutrition of dogs, cats and other non-ruminant animals.
Thursday, November 29 from 7-8 p.m. Central Time
Pet Food Ingredients 
Commercial pet foods are an easy and convenient way to feed dogs. Deciding what to feed can be difficult. This webinar will evaluate the different ingredients in pet foods.
Presenter: Dr. Greg Aldrich, Nutritionist at Pet Food & Ingredient Technology, Inc.
Aldrich is an independent nutritionist specializing in foods, ingredients and nutrition of companion animals. He received his PhD from the University of Illinois in nutrition. He writes a monthly column for Petfood Industry magazine on ingredient issues, and a quarterly review on matters related to pet nutrition, pet foods and the pet food industry for the weekly agribusiness newspaper Feedstuffs.
Thursday, December 6 from 7-8 p.m. Central Time
Raw Diets 
A raw food diet can include vegetables, grains, meat and bones. Learn about the pros and cons of feeding a raw diet to your canine.
Presenter: Dr. Cheryl Morris, Director of Comparative Nutrition at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium; Assistant Professor, Animal Sciences, Iowa State University
Morris received her PhD in canine nutrition from the University of Illinois and oversees the nutrition of the animals managed at one of the nation’s largest zoos. Her research focus is carnivore nutrition, particularly raw diet formulations for domestic and exotic carnivores.
Thursday, December 13 from 7-8 p.m. Central Time
Obesity Management 
More than half the dogs in the United States are not at their ideal body weight. Obesity is a common concern and can result in health issues such as diabetes, joint disease and stress on internal organs. Find out how nutritional vet intervention can influence obesity management in canines.
Presenter: Dr. Nancy Dreschel, Small Animal Sciences Instructor at Penn State University
Dreschel received her DVM from Cornell University and has worked in a mixed and small animal practice. Her PhD in behavioral health from Penn State University focused on the effects of fear and stress on behavior and physiology in dogs and their owners.
The webinars can be accessed at https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/companion . Each webinar will have a 30 to 40-minute presentation with a question and answer period at the end.
eXtension Companion Animals is an online resource of unbiased, research-based information and tools about companion animals, from dogs and cats to rabbits and guinea pigs. Follow eXtension Companion Animals on Facebook (Companion Animal eXtension) and on Twitter (@eXtCompAnimal).
Contacts: Jared Mracek, University of Nebraska, jared.mracek@huskers.unl.edu
Writer: Lynette Spicer, eXtension, lynette.spicer@eXtension.org