Congratulations Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians!

Congratulations to the Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians (AVNT) on receiving full recognition from NAVTA’s Committee on Veterinary Specialties!

Full recognition has been granted based on specific criteria, three of which are:

• The organization is fully functional and fulfilling its stated objectives.
• The Academy continues to show membership growth, applications submitted, administration of the exam, and financial stability.
• The specialty has administered their specialty examination for a minimum of 5 years and details how the certification exam is administered and how the cut score/pass point is determined.

The AVNT has VTS(Nutrition) members in Australia, Canada, England, and the United States.

If you know of a credentialed veterinary technician who is interested in obtaining their specialty in nutrition, please encourage them to visit

this website.

The AAVN has planned a series of four CE webinars on scientific topics designed to engage a large audience of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and animal scientists in veterinary nutrition. Webinars are live but recorded and available for viewing by registered attendees for two weeks after the event.

Are you interested in sponsoring a webinar (or the webinar series)?

Contact Jen at aavnexecutive@gmail.com to learn more.

23rd Annual Clinical Nutrition & Research Symposium

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

Nutrition Resident and Visiting Scholar

University of Tennessee

The American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition (AAVN) will accept abstract proposals for the 23rd Annual Clinical Nutrition and Research Symposium between December 1, 2022 and 11:59 pm (EST), January 15, 2023.

To review the full Call for Abstracts click here 

Please contact aavnexecutive@gmail.com with any questions.

Richard R. Weiss Memorial Student Research Award

Amount: $500 (student),  $2,000 (mentor)

The AAVN is pleased to offer offer the Richard R. Weiss Memorial Student Research Award again this year.

Criteria: All oral and poster abstracts submitted to the AAVN Clinical Nutrition & Research Symposium by primary authors in training programs will be considered for this award. Research projects with a focus on companion animal product testing are preferred. 

Priority will be given to 1st- 4th year veterinary student submissions, although graduate student and resident submissions are also eligible. A professor affiliated with an academic institution must be identified as mentor to the project, and agree to all terms and conditions for use of the mentor portion of the award, which should be used to promote future student research projects.

The abstract review committee will decide the recipient for the Richard R. Weiss Memorial Award. The award will be announced in advance of the Symposium so that the recipient may opt to use the student portion of the funding to cover the cost of travel and/or accommodations to the Symposium.

The Richard R Weiss Memorial Student Research Award was established by Laurie Martin, DVM in honor of her brother who pursued truth and honesty in all things. Their last conversation together was about inaccurate pet food product labeling claims.

Have You Made Any Resolutions for the New Year?

Let Us Know!

We are preparing a feature story on AAVN members' 2023 goals for our January issue and would love to include YOU! Send us a message at aavnexecutive@gmail.com!

Attention Student Chapters!!

Please take a few minutes to fill out this short survey for EACH chapter event you held this semester. The deadline to fill this out is December 30th.

We will use this same survey for spring events, so feel free to bookmark this link to fill out in real time.

The AAVN will has set aside funding to support student chapter activities. Student chapters may request up to $500 annually.

Only active student chapters may apply. Active student chapters must submit a register of current officers and faculty advisors with contact information by October 15 of each 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 received.

Requests for funding must include:    

Date of the fund request

Name of the student chapter requesting funds

Primary student and faculty advisor of contact with contact information including phone number and email

Date(s) of the activity/event

Amount requested with outlined budget

Description of the activity including goal(s) and anticipated outcome(s)

Requests for funds should be submitted to aavnexecutive@gmail.com.

Student Chapters receiving funds will be required to:

Submit a write up (250 words MAX) of the event/activities including pictures to our newsletter editor, Sarah Abood at aboodsarah@gmail.com (copy aavnexecutive@gmail.com on the submission). This summary is due within one week of the event/activity.

Create a post including pictures to be shared on the Student Member and General AAVN Facebook page. This post must be shared within one week after the event/activity. This event can be shared on the Facebook pages by the student chapter or the Facebook page administrator (aavnexecutive@gmail.com).

Provide receipts to AAVN executive director (aavnexecutive@gmail.com) following the event.

AAVN at SAVMA

AAVN Student Members - will you be attending the SAVMA Symposium

at the University of Illinois

March 17-19, 2023?

If YES – please fill out this short survey. Please share this survey with members of your student chapter.