The AAVN E-News is now being distributed to all of our friends and contacts.

Learn More About AAVN Membership Here

Message from the President

Megan Sprinkle, DVM

Dear Colleagues,

Happy New Year! 

For many, this is the season of new beginnings and resolutions. Perhaps one of your goals is to become more involved with professional organizations like AAVN.  Well, you’re in luck! We have many opportunities available for volunteers.

AAVN is currently seeking members to serve on our Outreach Committee. This year, the committee is focused on increasing and enhancing our membership. If you have ideas for how we can better serve our current members and encourage the engagement of new members, we would love to have your assistance.

We are also developing an ad-hoc committee that will focus on some new educational offerings, such as virtual “Hot Topic” discussions and Think Tanks. These ideas are in early stages of development, and we would love some help with further exploration.

Finally, this is an election year for AAVN! We will have several open positions on the Executive Board. Look out for more details about the nominations process next month.

If you are interested in learning more about any of the above-mentioned items, please be in touch at aavnexecutive@gmail.com

Best,

Megan Sprinkle, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition)

President

Oral and poster abstract presenters will be announced on March 21.

Please contact aavnexecutive@gmail.com with any questions.

Heading to Orlando for VMX?

Don't Miss AAVN Speakers!

Danielle Conway, DVM, Board Eligible ACVIM

Tuesday, January 28, 9 am - 11:40 am

N220 B, OCCC North

Nutrition Truths Unleashed: Update on the Latest Nutrition Trends/Events

Veterinary Professionals' Role in the Environmental Sustainability of Pet Food

Implementation of Palatable Nutrition Plans That Benefit All Areas of Practice

Maria Regina Cattai deGodoy, MS, PhD

Tuesday, January 28, 1:40 pm - 4:55 pm N220 B, OCCC North

Use of Novel Proteins in Companion Animal Nutrition

The Role of Carbohydrates and Fiber/ Pre/Pro/Postbiotic in Pet Health

Understanding Pet Food Processing Methods

Lessons Learned: Considerations for Making the Most of Patient Referrals for Nutrition Consultations

Amy Farcas, DVM, MS, ACVIM (Nutrition)

Imagine this: You’re tapped to speak in the virtual session of PennVet’s annual conference and are honored to have been invited.

Bonus: You’re excited to have an excuse catch up with Dr. Kathy Michel to brainstorm a topic you want to present (unfortunately, that part didn’t actually happen (yet)…but read on!).

But: Before the speaking agreements are formalized, your contact with the group organizing the conference stops returning emails, so you (a little sadly) move on with the rest of what’s on your desk, assuming one of your colleagues got their agreement signed more expediently.

However, arriving at a conference as an attendee and finding out that you’re supposed to be speaking is an actual nightmare with which you have familiarity, so: Three weeks before the conference, you check in one last time to confirm whether or not you’re speaking, and learn that your original contact had left her position with the organization.

Uh oh: “Maybe they don’t have another speaker?” you wonder. You hurriedly reach out to the person mentioned in the “away” email autoreply, and thankfully, she’s fast. Yes, she confirms you’re on the roster to speak, but strangely (actually not), there’s no information on what you’re presenting, and the paperwork isn’t done.

Thinking there was three weeks to prepare: You say “No problem, just send me the agreement to sign and I’ll get you a copy of the presentation in two weeks”, to which the reply is: “Actually, the virtual presentations were due yesterday, but I can extend it to Friday in this case.” Well, there goes the plan to brainstorm with my AAVN colleagues!

The AAVN Education Committee is pleased to announce the keynote speakers for the 2025 Clinical Nutrition and Research Symposium. They are:

Large Animal Nutrition Panel

Moderator: Megan Shepherd, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition)

Panelists: Mark Fagundes, DVM; Pat Harris, MA, VetMB, PhD, DECVCN, MRCVS; Ashley Self, BS, LVMT, VTS (Nutrition); Robert Van Saun, DVM, MS, PhD, DACT, DACVIM (Nutrition)

Kelly S. Swanson, MS, PhD

University of Illinois

Stephanie Valberg, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, DACVSMR

Valberg NMDL LLC

Kentucky Equine Research

Plus, an AAFCO Update from Renee Streeter, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition).

AAVN Veterinary Nutrition Workshop for Technicians to Debut in April - Sign Up Today!

Attention Veterinary Technicians!

AAVN is thrilled to announce the debut of our first-ever Veterinary Nutrition Workshop for Technicians, happening this April 2025! 🐾

Earn 13 RACE-approved CE credits while expanding your knowledge on veterinary nutrition and connecting with fellow technicians from your region. This is a fantastic opportunity to grow your network and enhance your expertise! 💡

Sponsorships Available! Pet food and related service companies - we want the technicians to meet you! Companies are invited to sponsor a meal/other item and have a table at the event. For more details, please contact Jen Gazdacko at aavnexecutive@gmail.com

AAVN's goal is to offer this program on a regular basis in different regions across the United States.

The AAVN Student Committee is proud to introduce our 2025 Student Member, Logan DeSchepper (he/him/his).

Logan is a second year DVM student at Purdue University. He has a strong interest in ECC, clinical nutrition, internal medicine, and extracorporeal therapeutic medicine. Outside of veterinary medicine, he enjoys spending time with his 2 dogs and a cat, kayaking, and attending music festivals. He's very excited to be working with everyone at AAVN, and can't wait to get started!

AAVN Funding is Available for Student Chapters

Student chapters can apply for grants of up to $500 annually to support chapter activities.  

Only active student chapters may apply. 

Active student chapters are those who have submitted a list of current officers and faculty advisors with contact information by October 15 of this calendar year. New student chapters who have submitted their draft constitution to the AAVN Student Committee for review are also eligible for funds, if a list of officers and faculty advisors with contact information has been submitted to AAVN.

Requests for funding must include: 

• Date of the request
• Student chapter name
• Primary student contact and faculty advisor, with email and phone number 
• Date(s) of the activity/event
• Amount requested and budgeted expenses
• Description of the activity including goal(s) and anticipated outcome(s)

There is no deadline for funding requests.

Please submit to aavnexecutive@gmail.com. 

Student Chapters receiving funds are required to: 



• Submit a write up (250 words MAX) of the event or activities, including pictures, for the AAVN e-newsletter. This summary is due within 1 week concluding the event/activity and can be sent via email to aavnexecutive@gmail.com

• Create a social media post that includes photos. This post must be shared within 1 week of the event/activity. This event can be shared on Facebook or Instagram by the student chapter or sent to AAVN at aavnexecutive@gmail.com.

• Provide receipts to the AAVN Executive Director following the event.

Upcoming CE Opportunities

ACVIM On Demand Course

A Comprehensive Approach to Enteral Feeding: When, Why, How

For more information and registration click Here

VMX Veterinary Meeting & Expo

January 25-29, 2025

Orlando, FL

For more information and registration, click here

Florida Ruminant Nutrition Symposium

February 24-26, 2025

Gainesville, Florida

For more information and registration, click here

WVC Annual Conference

March 2-5, 2025

Las Vegas, NV

For more information and registration, click here

ASPEN 2025 Nutrition Science and Practice Conference

March 22-25, 2025

Columbus, OH (virtual option available)

For more information and registration, click here

Classified Ads

The University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has launched a search for an Assistant/Associate Professor of Nutrition in the Department of Molecular Biosciences (tenure track; includes a 50% clinical appointment in the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH)). Fully accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association, the VMTH comprises 40 services with more than 150 specialists, 130 house officers, 335 staff, and a caseload exceeding 75,000/year. The current base pay range is $174,500-$226,300. Other components of pay may be offered when necessary to meet competitive conditions, qualifications, and experience. Click Here for more details.

Faculty Position in Clinical Nutrition, Kansas State University. Assistant/Associate/ Full Professor (Tenure Track). For more details click here.

AAVN Membership Renewal -- Are You Caught Up on Dues?

Renewing after September 1 means a late fee of $20 to be assessed.



 To Renew Your Membership:

• Sign in to the AAVN website
• Your username is your email address
• If you don't remember your password, you may use the automated password reset request
• Click on Invoices and Payments and process payment for your open membership invoice

Only by renewing can you continue to receive these member benefits:

• Access to the AAVN Membership Directory 
• Free webinars on cutting edge veterinary nutrition topics (4 per year)
• Discounted registration for the Annual Clinical Nutrition & Research Symposium
• Access to “Members Only” information on the AAVN website, including Symposium proceedings and recordings
•  Monthly E-Newsletter 
• Access to the AAVN List Serve (includes job and training posts)
• Opportunity to submit research abstracts for consideration at the annual Symposium

If you have any difficulty signing in or with the renewal process, please contact us at aavnexecutive@gmail.com.

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