AAVN Newsletter August 2021 |
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A Message from the President
Dear Colleagues,
This summer has been flying by -- it's hard to believe that we will soon begin a new academic year.
While this time of year often runs at a slower pace,
I am thrilled to share that our recent webinar, Utilizing Veterinary Technicians in Nutritional Management with Ashley Self, BS, LVT, VTS (Nutrition) had a record number of registrations. More than 90 people signed up to view this presentation!
Ashley's talk featured many great tips about how to maximize the time and energy of technicians AND how to ensure that they feel valued and empowered in their work. If you missed the live version, check out the video here.
And of course, mark your calendars for our next webinar on November 9th at 8 pm, Enhancing Working Dog Success Through Nutrition with Eileen K. Jenkins, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM).
Angela Rollins, DVM, PhD,DACVN
AAVN Executive Board President 2021-2023
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Field Trip To Pet Food Production Plant
by Dr. Sarah Abood
For those AAVN members who have yet to tour a pet food manufacturing facility, it’s something to add to your professional bucket list, especially if you are in a position to regularly make pet food recommendations. I had the chance to visit a raw pet food facility recently and thought I’d share a few highlights.
Eight veterinary nutritionists (all members of the AAVN!) and one state veterinarian from South Dakota accepted the invitation to meet in Lincoln, Nebraska and tour the production facilities of Nature’s Variety Instinct. Dr. Susan Wynn and colleagues hosted the day, which included 3-4 hours of presentations and several hours of tours in 3 different facilities. It was a jam-packed forum and everyone left with favorable impressions of the company’s progress and emphasis on food safety, as well as the numerous quality control procedures employed throughout the manufacturing process.
We arrived from all different parts of the USA, and the evening before the forum we gathered in the lobby of the hotel for a short shuttle ride to the University of Nebraska’s Natural History Museum. I thought it was a wonderful venue to mix and mingle for cocktails and dinner. We had several mammoth skeletons looking down on us, and we also had a chance to view other exhibits in the museum. For example, there was a huge mineral exhibit on the 2nd floor and one entire room devoted to the topic of “poop and paws”, which is likely a fan-favorite for many young visitors of the museum (and nutritionists!). There were two additional floors that we didn’t have time to investigate, but for anyone who likes to explore museums online, you can check out more exhibits here.
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Protocols for touring big pet food facilities – especially where raw materials enter frozen and finished product leaves the plant in freezer trucks -- include closed-toed shoes, long pants, no jewelry, and the donning of booties, hair nets, hard hats, eye protection, and clean lab coats. We also wore radio headsets in order to hear our tour guides among all the noisy machinery.
The pet food plant tours that I’ve been on have all been similar in terms of getting up close to the equipment and seeing how ingredients enter the facility and move through various stages. One of the more unique aspects of our Nature’s Variety Instinct (NVI) tour was seeing how they employ high-pressure pasteurization (HPP). Currently, NVI uses a local company called Universal Pure for their HPP application and I found an excellent diagram at the Universal Pure website showing how it works:
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Over the past few years, Universal Pure has created several short videos to demonstrate all the ways in which HPP is used in the human and pet food industries. Some people on the tour – myself included – were surprised to realize how many different types of human food products go through HPP. Links are provided here for those who are interested in viewing:
Although we were not allowed to take pictures during the tour, we did learn that researchers at Nature’s Variety Instinct have collaborated with the Food Processing Center at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Here’s a link to a 2-minute video featuring the work that’s conducted at the Food Processing Center. Additional research collaborations have been conducted (or will be started) with clinician-scientists at the University of Helsinki, the University of Georgia and the University of California at Davis.
The one thing I knew about NVI prior to attending the forum was that the company had conducted some feeding trials on some of their products a number of years ago. I was really glad to learn that new feeding trials are underway, which hopefully will support AAFCO feeding trial claims in the near future.
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1st Place Blog Post
Stepfanie George, DVM/MPH Candidate
University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine
Plant-Based Pet Diets
The growing trend that's cultivating concern
As people become more aware of their health, nutrition, and environmental impact, many have shifted towards a plant-based diet and more resource-conscious lifestyle. Some pet owners have even chosen to extend their own beliefs and preferences to their pets, opting for plant-based diets for their dogs and cats as well. Plant-based pet diets are becoming increasingly popular, with the help of marketing pitches that explain why plant-based pet food is healthier, more sustainable,
and more ethical. However, these claims are often unfounded and have no true basis in science. Pet owners who are considering plant-based pet foods should seek to understand the nutritional implications of feeding these diets to their pets.
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European Society of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition
Virtual Congress
September 9th-11th, 2021
To view the invitation for the virtual congress of the European Society of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition click here.
General lectures start at 3pm Amsterdam time zone, which is 9am Eastern time zone in the US. Streams start 1h later. On Saturday, streams start at 2pm Amsterdam time zone, which is 8am Eastern time zone in the US.
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Don't Miss Our Upcoming Webinars!
November 9th, 2021, 8 pm EST
Enhancing Working Dog Success Through Nutrition
Eileen K. Jenkins, DVM, MS, DACVIM (SAIM)
If you are a student member, please enter the code AAVNSTUDENT when you register.
Webinars are free for AAVN members but registration is required.
THANK YOU WEBINAR SERIES SPONSORS
Platinum Sponsor
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Student Webinar Series
Tuesday, September 14th, 8 pm
Feline Fat Camp:
Exploring Weight Management in Cats Through Diet and Exercise
Caitlin Getty, DVM, PhD, DACVN
This program is free for student members but registration is required.
*While these events are designed for students, all are welcome to attend.
There is no CE credit offered for this program.*
The Student Webinar series is sponsored by
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Save the Dates for the CAVN Fall Webinar Series!
The 2nd Annual CAVN Fall Webinar Series is coming in Sept. and Oct., and all AAVN members are invited. The CAVN (Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition) is collaborating with the AAVN by having one of 6 presentations delivered by an AAVN member. Organizers are working to get CE RACE approval for each webinar, and invited speakers are preparing topics under the general theme of “Putting Nutrition into Practice”. Thanks to the generous support of Nestle Purina Canada, the CAVN is able to offer all 6 webinars at no-charge. Scheduled dates to save on your calendars: Sept. 15, 22, 29, and Oct. 6, 13, and 20, 2021. Future details will be forthcoming in next month’s newsletter.
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Classified Ads
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Are you planning on publishing an article or making a nutrition presentation some time in 2021? 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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