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

eVoting is Open for AAVN Elections

Voting will be open until Wednesday, May 17, 2023.

Open Positions include (nominees below): President-elect, Secretary, Treasurer, and (2) Member-at-Large.

Please note that all Active and Life Members of the AAVN are eligible to vote in Board elections. Retired and Student Members are NOT eligible to vote. 

Active and Life Members will be required to enter their email address used for contact with the AAVN when voting.

To Cast Your Ballot Click Here

2023-2025 Candidate Information

President Elect: Jonathan Stockman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Long Island University and an affiliate faculty member at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University. He completed his veterinary training in Israel, where he also completed a clinical internship. Afterwards he completed a residency in medicine and surgery for companion non-domestic pets at UC Davis, followed by a second residency in Clinical Nutrition, also at UC Davis. Later, he became a senior researcher at the Waltham Centre of Pet Nutrition in 2013 in the UK (currently, the Waltham Pet Science Institute). From 2016 until 2017 he completed a post-doc at Colorado State University, and later became clinical faculty between the years 2017 and 2020 before moving to start a new veterinary nutrition program in the new veterinary college in Long Island. 

Secretary: Ashley Self, CVT, VTS (Nutrition) has been a veterinary technician on the Nutrition Service at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine since 2012. She passed her nutrition veterinary technician specialty exam in 2018. Since 2019, Ashley has been a member-at-large for the Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians (AVNT) and a liaison between AVNT and the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition (AAVN). She has served as Secretary of the AAVN since 2021. Her clinical nutrition interests range in both small and large animal, with more recent growth and development in equine nutrition. In her spare time, she enjoys learning about honeybee nutrition as she manages her own honeybee colonies.

Treasurer: Lisa P. Weeth, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition) received her veterinary degree from the University of California, Davis, in 2002. She spent two years in general and emergency practice before returning to UC Davis in 2004 for a Residency in Clinical Nutrition. She joined the American Association of Veterinary Nutrition (AAVN) in 2005 as a resident/student member and has been a participating member of the AAVN since that time. She completed her residency training in 2007 and became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition (ACVN) that same year. Dr. Weeth has been in specialty practice, offering in-person or telemedicine nutrition consultations, since the fall of 2007. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Weeth serves on advisory councils for a number of commercial pet food manufacturers; on the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee; and is a regular lecturer at regional, national and international veterinary conferences.  She has served as Treasurer of the AAVN since 2021.

Member at Large: Robin Saar RVT, VTS (Nutrition) became a registered technologist in 1996 and obtained her Veterinary Technician Specialty in Nutrition in 2019. Robin’s professional experience includes working in small and mixed animal practices as an RVT and a Practice Manager. She also developed a nutrition program for a veterinary corporation. Robin has written multiple articles and chapters about nutrition and recently completed the first dedicated textbook on nutrition and small animal microbiomes with Dr. Sarah Dodd. Her new role as the Veterinary Onboarding Specialist at AnimalBiome meets her interest in nutrition and microbiome health. Currently, Robin is the Education Director for the CAVN and is the president-elect for the AVNT. She is completing her MSc in Animal Nutrition through Glasglow University.

Member at Large: Dan Su, MS, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition) received his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from Western University of Health Sciences in 2015. He completed a small animal rotating internship at VCA ASEC in West Los Angeles after graduation. In pursuit of his interest in veterinary nutrition, Dr. Su went on to complete a small animal nutrition internship at the University of Missouri, and a small animal clinical nutrition residency at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Su became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Nutrition) in 2021. Since finishing his residency, Dr. Su has been working in industry as well as seeing individual patients, helping guide companies and pet owners to come up with the best nutrition product or plan for dogs and cats. He also enjoys hosting veterinary students and teaching them about veterinary nutrition. In his spare time, Dr. Su is an avid home-cook, and loves to learn about food science and techniques that he may be able to apply to his cases. 

AAVN Symposium: Student Travel Information

Deadline to Apply for Funds is May 26, 2023

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Purina Institute, the AAVN is able to offer $500 per student chapter for representatives to attend the AAVN Annual Clinical Nutrition & Research Symposium on June 13-14 in Philadelphia, PA. If funding is not used by each student chapter, additional funds may be available to those attending. 

** Students in the process of starting a new chapter at their school that is not yet recognized as active are also eligible to apply for funding.** 

Funding is typically PER chapter (if multiple representatives from the same chapter attend, funds are split) and are reimbursed after the event. Information on how to submit receipts will be provided to the students utilizing this funding.

Students utilizing this funding:

• Must be active in their chapter the following academic year (2023 – 2024). 
• Are still required to register for the Symposium  
• Must attend ALL Symposium related events 

Please fill out this SURVEY if you would like to access these funds.

The form MUST be filled out by May 26, 2023.

AAVN Member Spotlight

Jeb Coleman Cade, MS, DVM

Interviewed by Ashley Self

How long have you been an AAVN member? I have been a member since February 2023.

What company or organization do you work at right now? I work for Hill's Pet Nutrition.

What has been your top professional achievement? As someone with a background in academia and a passion for veterinary student education, being recognized with the Dean’s Pegasus Award for Teaching while at Mississippi State and also being recognized by the veterinary students at Mississippi State with nominations for the Zoetis Excellence in Teaching Award four times are my top professional achievements.

What do you hope to see as part of the future for animal nutrition? I would love to see more veterinary student exposure to nutritional education and the nutrition conversations they should be having with pet parents. My inner nerd is very interested in alternative protein sources (insects) in pet food and also if there are other ways we can modulate the GI microbiome using nutrition.

Please share something about yourself that none of your nutrition colleagues already know. I am a disc golf fanatic! When I am not working or spending time with my family, I am on the disc golf course. Also, I have appeared on an episode of "Animal Hoarders". All of 12 seconds out of a 6 hour day.

AAVN members, we would love to highlight YOU and your work in an upcoming issue of the e-newsletter. If you're interested in participating in this new feature, please e-mail us at aavnexecutive@gmail.com

Jonathan Stockman is affiliated with the College of Veterinary Medicine, Long Island University.

Andrea Fascetti is affiliated with the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis.

Member Research in the News

We want to recognize AAVN members who have successfully published an original research article, textbook chapter, case report, or review paper.

For the month of May, we are featuring two AAVN members – Dr. Jonathan Stockman and Dr. Andrea Fascetti. Along with several co-authors, they were recently published in the Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine. The title of their paper is: “Cystine and Amino Acid Concentrations in the Urine of Pet Ferrets (Mustela putorius furo)” and it can be found here.

Also - ICYMI – the Student Town Hall Recording is Now Available!

Click Here to View

University of Missouri CVM Nutrition Club Uses AAVN Funds for an Esophagostomy Tube Wet Lab

The Nutrition Club at the University of Missouri’s College of Veterinary Medicine held our Esophagostomy Tube Wetlab for a group of 30 students. We first had a lecture from Dr. Elena Leavitt, the Nutrition Resident at Mizzou’s Veterinary Health Center. She gave us an overview of different nutrition tubes including nasogastric tubes, gastric tubes, jejunal tubes, and of course, esophagostomy tubes. We learned about the indications and drawbacks of each type of tube, as well as which kinds of diets each tube can be used with. We also learned about the qualities of different diets used in tubes including liquid commercial diets and blenderized diets, why they are used and for how long. 

Next, we had a presentation by Dr. Tony Mann, a boarded surgeon and criticalist at Mizzou’s VHC, as well as an instructor at the CVM. He taught us about esophagostomy tube placement, which types of tubes are used for this procedure, and the other instruments involved in the placement. He also instructed us on the proper technique for placement including which anatomical landmarks to guide ourselves with as well as checking the placement with radiographs.

Finally, we got into the lab and practiced placing tubes in cat cadavers. We measured the tubes, guided our incision with the use of Carmalt forceps, drew the tube into the mouth, and directed the tube down into the stomach. We also sutured the tube in place with friction sutures. We performed this lab with the assistance of Drs. Mann, Leavitt, Wagner-Mann, Kang, and Pappano.

Pictured are students working in the lab, as well as a group shot of several of the students who participated in the lab as well as Drs. Mann and Leavitt. 

Join us for 1.5 days of programming, including lectures, oral and poster abstract presentations, student meetings and networking opportunities on

June 13th (3 pm - 5:30 pm) and June 14th (8 am - 4:30 pm).

A full schedule is available here.

New this Year! All registered attendees will receive a 15% discount on registration for the ACVIM Forum. A promo code will be provided in AAVN Symposium registration confirmation emails.

Click Here to Register!

Keynote Speakers

Stephanie Clark, PhD, CVT, PAS, CFS, DACAS

Assistant Director of Special Services, BSM Partners

David Dzanis, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition)

Regulatory Discretion, Inc.

Izabelle Teixiera, MS, PhD

Assistant Professor, Dairy Extension Specialist, University of Idaho

Flavia Vaduva, DVM, MBA

Nutrition Resident and Visiting Scholar

University of Tennessee

Thank You to Our Program Sponsor

and to

Don’t forget to register for the 2023 ACVIM Forum happening in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from June 15-17. The ACVIM Forum and the AAVN Annual Clinical Nutrition & Research Symposium have been working together to align schedules so that nutritionists can attend both events.

On Tuesday, June 13th, from 7 pm - 9 pm, we will gather on the rooftop patio of Victory Brewing Company* for drinks, snacks and incredible views of the City of Brotherly Love.

The cost to attend is just $15 for those registered to attend the AAVN Symposium (promo code was sent via email) and $25 for those who want to join in this after-hours celebration. 

Student members are welcome to attend at no charge, please contact aavnexecutive@gmail.com for your promo code.

All guests receive 2 drink tickets + a raffle ticket.

Tickets must be purchased by June 6. 

A limited number of tickets may be available onsite.

*Victory Brewing Company is located at 1776 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, approximately 1 mile from the Philadelphia Convention Center.

Thank You to Our "Party in Philly" Sponsors

Register and Plan to Attend!

Thursday May 11, 2023

7:00pm – 8:00pm ET

“Giving Healthy Nutritional TLC:

Truths and Strategies in Feeding and Treating Our Pets”

CAVN Panelists

Dr. Sarah Wilson

Dr. Moran Tal Gavriel

Dr. Jenna Manacki

RC Live Registration Link Here

Owning a puppy or kitten is an exciting experience but one that can be overwhelming, especially given the amount of information coming from different sources. This session will cover tips and tricks from three veterinary nutritionists on how to approach nutrition conversations, address misinformation, and create clear nutritional plans for new pet owners. This panel discussion webinar is offered in collaboration with the Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition and Royal Canin Live!

Check out all of the AAVN swag now available for purchase at

our new Spreadshop!

We have sweatshirts, aprons, mugs, water bottles, t-shirts, a bandana for your dog AND much more!

Classified Ads

Attention all registered veterinary technicians who are interested in nutrition! There is a unique opportunity available immediately at the Ontario Veterinary College.

The Ontario Veterinary College is recruiting an assistant or associate professor in canine and feline nutrition for a 2-year contract limited position.

Nestle Purina is looking to hire a veterinary nutritionist in an R&D role: Sr Veterinary Nutritionist (nestle.com)

The University of Missouri is hiring to fill clinical nutritionist positions. Here is the position announcement. If you or someone you know might be interested, please contact Dr. Robert Backus.