The AAVN's 24th Annual Clinical Nutrition and Research Symposium will take place on Tuesday, June 4 and Wednesday, June 5 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, MN.
Join us for 1.5 days of programming, including lectures, oral and poster abstract presentations, student meetings and networking opportunities.
A full schedule is available here. All listed times are Central Time.
This program has been submitted to RACE for 4 CE credits.
Join the AAVN for our Party (offsite location TBD) on Tuesday, June 4 from 7 pm - 9 pm. Tickets are just $25 for Symposium attendees - a promo code will be included in your registration confirmation- and include 2 drink tickets and entry in a drawing to receive a Backyard Cookout Prize Pack. All proceeds from ticket sales will be used to support student travel to the 2025 Symposium. Guests are welcome, additional tickets are just $35. For more details and to purchase tickets click here
All registered attendees receive a 15% discount on registration for the ACVIM Forum (promo code is provided in registration confirmation).
While the Symposium will be an in-person event, audio recordings with slides will be available to registered attendees and AAVN members for a limited time after the live event.
2024 Speakers
Aletha Carson, DVM
Senior Manager, Data & Clinical Studies/ Manager, Digital Health
Kinship/ MARS Petcare- Connected Solutions
Fur-tastic Futures: Bridging the Gap Between Veterinary Care and Cutting-Edge Technologies. Step into the frontier of veterinary care where the rise of generative artificial intelligence heralds a new stage of the Industrial Revolution. In this era, machines think, learn, self-replicate, and master tasks once reserved for humans. Much like the disruptions of previous industrial revolutions, the transformative impact of new technologies will and is reshaping veterinary care. Delve into the realm of AI-enhanced diagnostics and personalized treatment, discovering how these innovations positively influence the daily lives of veterinarians by streamlining tasks and enhancing patient care. Join us for a visionary session where the convergence of innovationand compassionate veterinary medicine is at the forefront of this transformative journey.
Andrea Fidgett, MSc, PhD
Director, Wildlife Nutrition
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Feeding the Roar: How Comparative and Conservation Nutrition Serves the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. The 100+ year history of the San Diego Zoo has many tales of perseverance and ingenuity when meeting the needs of the animals in its care. Securing animal food was one of the most significant challenges in the early years. Today, the Wildlife Nutrition team has grown to serve the specific needs of the zoo and safari park, encompassing approximately 19,000 animals across 800 species. Using examples from the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, this presentation touches on the history, current challenges, and future of comparative nutrition in wildlife conservation.
Kathleen (Katie) Hill Gallant, PhD, RD
Associate Professor of Nutrition
University of Minnesota
Kidney Health in Humans: Roles and Risks of Dietary Phosphorus and Calcium
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem that affects ~37 million U.S. adults. Abnormal calcium and phosphorus metabolism is common in CKD and leads to increased risk for cardiovascular events, bone fragility fractures, and death. Limiting dietary phosphorus intake is a mainstay of diet therapy in the management of mineral and bone disorders in CKD. Yet, the abundance of phosphorus in the food supply, including from widespread use of highly bioaccessible inorganic phosphate-containing food additives, is a significant barrier. Clinical practice guidelines suggest limiting dietary phosphorus intake for patients with CKD and hyperphosphatemia, but these statements are not graded or graded as weak due to very limited data that support the effect of dietary phosphorus restriction on serum phosphate, let alone effects on clinical outcomes. Furthermore, incomplete understanding of factors that affect intestinal phosphorus absorption, the role of absorption in overall whole-body phosphorus balance, and the interactions with dietary calcium, absorption, and whole-body balance impede progress in this area. This presentation will aim to provide current perspectives on dietary phosphorus and calcium and CKD in humans, identify future research needs, and foster awareness of the similar clinical problems in mineral nutrition that affect humans and animals with CKD.
Renee Streeter, DVM, DACVIM (Nutrition)
Nutrition Practice Principal
BSM Partners
AAFCO Update
AAFCO has been busy this year. The updated label requirements are in the new Official Publication. A working group was formed to determine if a controlled copper claim should be defined and new ingredient information including the Common Food Index has been rolled out. The details regarding these updates will be discussed to help improve understanding so communications regarding these changes and what they mean for consumers, veterinarians and those working in the pet food industry can be facilitated.
Hotel Information: While the AAVN does not have an official conference hotel, the Symposium will take place at the Minneapolis Convention Center, in conjunction with the ACVIM Forum. You can review ACVIM's list of nearby hotels here.
Thank you to education program sponsor
Student Travel and the Student Session sponsored by
Tuesday Refreshment Break Sponsored by
Off-site Party Sponsored by
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