AAVN Newsletter February 2022 |
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A Message from the President
Dear Colleagues,
I hope you all saw the recent message that went out via the list serve, announcing the official dates of our 2022 Symposium. We are very excited to welcome many of you to Austin on June 21st- 22nd. For those of you who cannot attend in person, we will have a virtual option available. Registration will open soon!
Thank you to all who submitted abstract proposals this year. I am grateful to our Education Committee (list names) for taking time to review the 27 submissions and look forward to this year’s oral and poster abstract sessions.
We have many different sponsorship opportunities available at the Symposium for companies and businesses! If you are interested in supporting the AAVN in this way, please email Jen at aavnexecutive@gmail.com
And finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our exciting webinar series — see details below! I hope you will sign up for our first offering, Honeybee Nutrition, on March 15th!
Stay safe, healthy and warm!
Stay safe, healthy and warm!
Angela Rollins, DVM, PhD,DACVIM (Nutrition)
AAVN Executive Board President 2021-2023
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AAVN Announces 2022 Webinar Series
Join the AAVN for an upcoming webinar! These sessions are free for members, $20 for non-members*.
Honeybee Nutrition
Tuesday, March 15th, 8 pm EST
Speaker: Ashley Self, BS, LVMT, VTS (Nutrition), University of Tennessee
Student Member Code: AAVNSTUDENT22
Nutrition for Backyard Poultry
Tuesday, April 26th, 8 pm EST
Speaker: Maurice Pitesky, DVM, MPVM, DACVPM, UC Davis
Nutrition for Pocket Pets & Exotics
Tuesday, September 13th, 8 pm EST
Speakers: Amanda Ardente, DVM, PhD, Ardente Nutrition
Kara Burns, MS, MEd, LVT, VTS (Nutrition)
Nutrition for Small Ruminants
Tuesday, November 8th, 8 pm EST
Speaker: Robert J. Van Saun, DVM, MS, PhD, Penn State University
* The $20 fee can be applied to membership.
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Joint Letter of Concern About Allowance of Hemp in Animal Feed
Earlier this month, the AAVN joined the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) and sixteen other agencies, in signing a letter to state agriculture agency commissioners and secretaries, to raise awareness of the need for research on hemp in animal feed before states approve the ingredient for use.
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2022 Symposium Update
The 2022 Clinical Nutrition and Research Symposium will take place on Tuesday, June 21st (3 pm - 5:30 pm + cocktails!) and all day on Wednesday, June 22nd. A full schedule will be announced soon.
Confirmed Keynote Speakers Include:
Caree Jackson Cotwright, PhD, RDN, LD
Claudia Kirk, DVM , PhD, DACVIM (Internal Medicine, Nutrition)
Susanne Talcott, PhD
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Changing for the Better
Continuing with our new series, I asked my colleague and friend, Dr. Julie Churchill, to share one of her best nutritional resources (an original research article, review paper, etc.) that has influenced or changed how she practices nutrition in her setting at the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine. ~Sarah Abood, DVM, PhD, Newsletter Editor
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Julie A. Churchill DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition)
Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionist®
Professor, Veterinary Nutrition
Associate Medical Director
Mental Health Advocate
When I think about a nutrition resource that has changed my life, I immediately think of the Purina Lifespan study [also referred to as the 448 Labrador lifespan study] and how it impacted the way I would practice. This 15 year research project was conducted between 1985 and 2000, and it resulted in several publications (see list below). Although work done more than 2 decades ago may seem like ancient history to new vets and vet techs, this study was in progress during my graduate days of my own long-term project with geriatric dogs. I felt a kindred spirit in caring for, and learning about dogs throughout their lifespan, particularly with an aim to increase their “health-span”, that period of time when they are healthy and thriving.
When I started out in the field of nutrition it was very easy to get excited about therapeutic nutrition, or the power of nutrition to help manage different disease states. At the same time, however, what really resonated with me was that the findings described in the Purina Lifespan study reinforced the impact that nutrition plays in maintaining wellness, especially as a cornerstone of proactive preventive care. This fueled my passionate belief that nutrition has a central role in the health and wellbeing of pets and their families. I find myself referring to the Lifespan study in almost every one of my nutrition appointments, because a nutrition recommendation is not just about selecting the ‘right’ food or foods for the patient - it is equally important to feed the food “right” - at a dose that will meet the animal’s nutritional needs and also help maintain a healthy body condition score (BCS).
The design of the Lifespan study was deceptively simple: two groups of dogs would be fed the same food and only daily calorie intake would be reduced by 25% in the experimental group. Using a validated 9-point BCS system, investigators documented the average BCS for control group dogs (those eating all they wanted in a timed feeding each day) was ~6.5 on the 9-point scale, while the average BCS for calorie-restricted dogs was ~4.5 out of 9. The difference between the two groups was surprisingly close to what is considered ‘ideal’. The significance of this finding changed how I and other nutritionists looked at our patients; previously we’d spent a lot of time focused on dogs with BCSs of 8 or 9 out of 9, and tended to ignore those with a score of 6 or 7. With evidence suggesting that better health outcomes could be achieved with 25% fewer calories and a lower BCS, more emphasis needed to be placed on dogs just outside of the ‘ideal’ range.
I have talked about the Lifespan study so much, that people think I participated in this research. While that is not true, I have taken up the torch for promoting the value of using BCScoring as a critical tool in our nutrition toolbox.
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About 4 years ago, I collaborated with colleagues (Drs. Alex German and Ernie Ward) to draft a proposal for a universal standard BCS system in the Global Obesity Initiative Position Statement. And whenever I’m asked what kind of ‘superpower’ I would like to have, my response is always the same - I would love the power to bestow upon all pet owners the ability to competently perform a BCS on their dogs and cats. I firmly believe that when pet owners can accurately assess this aspect of their pet’s health, we’ll be able to realize the incredible impact it will have on veterinary medicine and the lives of all dogs and cats. We could actually end the obesity epidemic!
Selected publications from the Purina Lifespan Study:
Evaluation of the effect of limited food consumption on radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis in dogs. Kealy, R, Lawler, DF, Ballam, JM, Lust, G, et al. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2000;217:1678–1680.
Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs. Kealy, R, Lawler, DF, Ballam, JM, Mantz, SL, et al. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2002;220:1315–1320.
Influence of lifetime food restriction on causes, time, and predictors of death in dogs. Dennis F. Lawler, DF, Evans, RH, Larson, BT, Spitznagel, EL, et al. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2005;226:225–231.
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Sign Up For the First AAVN Student Webinar of 2022!
March 29, 2022 @ 8pm ET
Making Client Communication Appetizing: Creative Strategies for ‘Weight’y Discussions
Deborah Linder, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Nutrition), Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
When a standard diet and exercise approach still results in an overweight pet, getting creative with conversations and strategies can make obesity prevention and weight loss more fun and effective. Traditional and non-traditional strategies for successful weight loss will be discussed along with case examples in this session to provide participants more tools for their weight loss toolbox in future practice.
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Save These Dates for Upcoming Student Webinars!
April 12, 2022 @ 8pm ET
Navigating Urinary Bladder Stones and Diet Selection
Elena L. Leavitt, DVM, Small Animal Clinical Nutrition Resident, University of
Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine
September 27, 2022 @ 8pm ET
Nutrition in the Trenches:
How to Implement Best Nutrition Practices in a Clinical Setting
Emily Luisana, DVM, Residency Trained in Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, Friendship Hospital for Animals, Washington, DC
October 18, 2022 @ 8pm ET
Home-Cooked Diets for Pets: Master Chef or Kitchen Nightmare?
Lily Johnson, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition)
The AAVN 2022 Student Webinar Series is Sponsored By
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2022 AAVN Companion Animal Nutrition
Blog Writing Competition
Deadline: March 9, 2022
Sponsored by Hill's Pet Nutrition
Submissions are now being accepted for the 2022 AAVN Companion Animal Nutrition blog writing competition! For more details click here
The competition is open to:
- Students currently enrolled in DVM/ VMD programs, registered veterinary technician (RVT) programs or animal science programs.
- Veterinary interns currently practicing at an academic institution or in private practice.
- Graduate students (Masters and PhD) pursuing an advanced degree in veterinary or animal nutrition.
Please note that the competition is not open to nutrition residents training to become board certified by either the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Nutrition) (ACVIM-Nutrition) or the European College of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition (ECVCN).
1st Place: The 1st Place winner will receive a $500 USD travel award to the AAVN Clinical Nutrition & Research Symposium, to be used in the two years following the award. In addition, the winning blog will be featured in the AAVN E-newsletter. The 1st Place recipient will also receive a certificate, presented at the Symposium.
2nd & 3rd Place: The runners up will receive award certificates at the Symposium. The 2nd and 3rd place recipients’ blogs will also be featured in the AAVN E-newsletter.
Blogs should be submitted via email to Dr. Martha Cline, AAVN Student Chapter Co-Chair, at marthagcline@gmail.com with the subject line “AAVN Companion Animal Nutrition Blog Writing Competition” by 11:59 pm ET on March 9, 2022.
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Attention Student Members!
The AAVN has updated our website to include a list of externship opportunities.
Thank you to everyone who sent along information to include. If you offer an externship and would like it added to this list, send details to aavnexecutive@gmail.com
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PAID FOR AND CREATED BY VIRBAC
CELEBRATING SPAY AND NEUTER AWARENESS MONTH
At Virbac, we strongly believe that spaying and neutering is an essential and important part of responsible pet ownership. While there are numerous benefits to these procedures, we recognize that changes in metabolism also place our dogs and cats at an increased risk for obesity.1
We are excited to celebrate spay and neuter awareness month with our launch of VETERINARY HPM® Spay & Neuter Diets, tailored for the specific needs of spayed and neutered pets throughout life.
We are especially proud of our new VETERINARY HPM Junior Spay & Neuter Diets, growth diets designed to support sufficient growth, while avoiding excess calories. View our full nutrient analysis here. Contact your Virbac representative to learn more.
For more information visit our website.
1. Cline MG, Burns KM, Coe JB, et al. 2021 AAHA nutrition and weight management guidelines for dogs and cats. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2021;57(4):153-178. doi:10.5326/JAAHA-MS-7232
© 2022 Virbac Corporation. All rights reserved. VETERINARY HPM is a registered trademark of Virbac S.A. 2/22
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Are you planning on publishing an article or making a nutrition presentation some time in 2022? We'd love to announce it for you! Please send to the Executive Directors at aavnexecutive@gmail.com or the E-newsletter editor aboodsarah@gmail.com
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Place your ad here!
The AAVN offers both display and classified advertising in the monthly e-newsletter. To learn more about space limitations and fees, please contact aavnexecutive@gmail.com
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Job notices received from an AAVN member will then be posted in the following places as a service to our membership:
1) AAVN Listserv
3) The following AAVN monthly newsletter
Members are also welcome to send relevant events, surveys intended for scientific research, training programs or courses to aavnexecutive@gmail.com for notice through our listserv and/or newsletter.
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Guidelines for FOR-profit Industry Content in the AAVN E-Newsletter |
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- Content can be up to 150 words (approximately three paragraphs) and can include a weblink or link to PDF
- Content will be labeled clearly: PAID FOR AND CREATED BY (company name)
- Content must be approved by the AAVN Outreach Committee
- Once content is approved, the AAVN will contact you to coordinate payment.
- The cost is $300 per issue.
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