AAVN Webinar: Nutrition for Small Ruminants

Many small animal practitioners are finding opportunities to work with owners of sheep, goats and camelids. Understanding the unique digestive process of the ruminant animal is critical to providing supportive veterinary care. This presentation will introduce feeding practices for small ruminants giving the practitioner some level of confidence in helping to properly care for sheep and goats. Understanding forage feeding and being able to interpret forage analysis reports will be a primary focus of the discussion. A fundamental perspective on proper feeding practices in meeting rumen needs to maintain health and performance will be addressed.

Robert J. Van Saun, DVM, MS, PhD received his DVM degree from Michigan State University in 1982.  He practiced in northern New York in a predominately dairy practice prior to returning to Michigan State to complete a MS degree in nutrition (1988) and a residency in theriogenology (reproduction).  Dr. Van Saun completed a PhD program in ruminant nutrition from Cornell University (1993).  He is board certified diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists and American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Nutrition).  Dr. Van Saun was on faculty at the College of Veterinary Medicine Oregon State University from (1992-2000) and worked with the dairy and small ruminant (sheep, goats, camelids) industries in the Pacific Northwest.  Dr. Van Saun has completed research projects dealing with vitamin D, hepatic lipidosis, and trace mineral nutrition in small ruminants. Dr. Van Saun joined the Penn State faculty in 2000 as an extension veterinarian. Robert provides extension programs across species on various nutrition, animal health and reproductive topics regionally, nationally and internationally. He is responsible for teaching courses on parasitology and pathology of nutritional diseases. His research interests include the role of nutrition in animal health and performance, especially pregnancy nutrition, and improving diagnostic tests to evaluate nutritional status.                                                                                                 

This webinar is free to all AAVN members.  The cost for non-members is $20.