If you've ever spent much time in a Veterinary clinic you've undoubtedly spent time with a Veterinary Technician. Like their nurse counterparts in human medicine, they do the majority of the actual patient care and they provide a good deal of education in the process.
I wrote a post about an eye opening discussion I had with the executive director of NAVTA (National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America) just last winter. I didn't know that they had so many specialty certifications like Internal Medicine and Behavior for instance. Well now they have a new specialty and it's right up my alley. They just unveiled the Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians (AVNT).
I went to the website to check it out and getting certified in this area is no piece of cake. It takes up to three years of nutrition related experience and at least 40 hours of approved continuing education in the field of nutrition. They also have to demonstrate advanced competence in veterinary nutrition through either clinical or research experience. The clinical route involves recording at least 40 cases where the applicant demonstrated advanced knowledge in the field of nutrition including five detailed case reports.
That's a lot of work, but considering that nutrition is an everyday experience at a veterinary hospital there should be plenty of opportunity. Every new puppy and kitten can benefit from the expertise of a nutrition specialist. We've discussed how feeding large breed puppies is so important to the healthy development of their bones and joints and their lifelong health.
Therapeutic nutrition is an every day occurrence too. Many diseases respond very well to special diets as an important component of therapy and technicians often spend time explaining this to concerned pet owners. The growing concern over obesity in pets is a natural fit for a technician. I could see them being instrumental in executing a program like Project Pet Slim Down that we discussed in a recent podcast.
It would be a smart idea for any Veterinarian to have an AVNT member on board. The information they could provide to clients and pets would be invaluable. I hope this catches on and we start seeing these talented individuals popping up in practices all over the country.
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