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How I Manage Chronic Vomiting and Regurgitation

by Chris Margrey, DVM

Diseases of the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract are common reasons for referral to a veterinary nutrition service. These diseases present in a multitude of ways, and their nutritional management will similarly vary between etiologies. For the purposes of this article, I will focus on the nutritional management of chronic vomiting and regurgitation; however, it should be mentioned that there are nutritional interventions appropriate for acute and chronic presentations of any gastrointestinal sign.

AAVN at SAVMA Symposium

March 16-19, 2023, University of Illinois

This year’s SAVMA Symposium was hosted at the University of Illinois from March 16-19. More than 700 students from all over the world were in attendance.

The AAVN had a booth in the exhibit hall. Our AAVN student representative, Ryan Flynn (University of Tennessee), as well as Dr. Martha Cline and Dr. Ken Lambrecht were at the booth to talk to attendees about our organization and veterinary nutrition in general.

We heard from Ryan after the event:

"I was thrilled to have the opportunity to represent AAVN at this year's SAVMA Symposium. Over the course of the two days, I was able to talk to numerous students about anything and everything related to AAVN. From discussing our purpose as an organization, going over what benefits AAVN has for students, and making new connections, I had great conversations with veterinary students across the nation.

From my time at SAVMA Symposium, it is apparent that more and more students are gaining an interest in veterinary nutrition. The majority of students I interacted with showed interest in becoming a student member if they weren't already one. Additionally, many students expressed interest in forming student chapters at the schools which do not currently have one. We have already seen new potential student chapters start the process and we are very excited to see that growth from our student members."

It's exciting to learn of the strong interest in nutrition from our younger colleagues! To read more about the SAVMA Symposium from the media department at the University of Illinois click here

Congratulations to our SAVMA Symposium Raffle Winners!

Alexis Grimes, Lincoln Memorial University

Mae Stepanski, University of Illinois

Nutrition management is one of the most impactful ways to mitigate disease and help clients keep their pets healthy for years to come. But pet owners don’t always look to their veterinarian as a source of nutrition guidance and information. Learn how to make your veterinary team the preferred nutrition resource for your clients. Discover the ins and outs of implementing a nutrition management program in your practice, including how to collect nutrition history, promote proper nutrition, demonstrate the behaviors that support healthy diet, and make personalized recommendations that meet the needs of each patient.

Julie Churchill, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition) received her B.S and DVM from Michigan State University. She combined residencies and her PhD program in small animal internal medicine and clinical nutrition at University of Minnesota.She is a Professor at the University of Minnesota, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine-Nutrition, and life member of the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition (AAVN). Dr. Churchill is passionate about all aspects of small animal clinical nutrition including the role of nutrition in maintaining wellness and preventive care, obesity prevention and treatment, the nutrition needs of geriatric patients, in health and disease. She serves on the executive board of the Pet Nutrition Alliance (PNA) and she also serves on the Board of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.

Camille R. Torres-Henderson, DABVP, DACVIM (Nutrition), attended Colorado State for her undergraduate and veterinary education. After she earned her DVM in 2001, she went into small animal private practice in Albuquerque, NM. She joined Community Practice at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital in 2008, and earned her feline and canine DABVP certification in 2011. As a general practitioner, Dr. Torres-Henderson has observed the power of preventive medicine. Seeing how preventing disease can be so much easier for a pet than treatment led her to explore the effects of obesity on companion animals and nutrition’s role in obesity management.  Her enthusiasm for nutrition in multiple areas inspired her to seek additional training in the field of nutrition at CSU, and she became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine- Nutrition in 2021. 

This program has been submitted to RACE for 1 CE credit.

The webinar will be recorded and available for viewing by registered attendees for two weeks. Please note that CE credits are available only to those who attend the live event.

STUDENT REGISTRATION CODE: STUDENT23AAVN

AAVN Member Spotlight

Laura Gaylord

Interviewed by Ashley Self

How long have you been an AAVN member? I have been a member since 2012.

What company or organization do you work at right now? I have a nutrition consulting business, Whole Pet Provisions, PLLC.

What are 2 things that you really like about your current job?

I have always loved working directly with clients and patients. I enjoy having this interaction with people as a clinician and being able to directly design care for individual pets. I enjoy working alongside my patients' primary care veterinarian to tackle complicated medical disease combinations.

I like designing the best nutrition plans and then finding out what is reasonable and achievable for both the pet and the pet owner is always a challenge, but it is also very rewarding. Clinical practice allows me to both design the plan and to modify, based on what is working for that individual pet.

What has been your top professional achievement?

Graduation from veterinary school, completing an alternative track residency and achieving my board certification in Clinical Nutrition are my best achievements so far.

Please describe the best animal nutrition-related experience you've had in your career. As a resident, I had a complicated portosystemic shunt case in a very ill, young Irish Wolfhound that started with hospitalization and assisted feeding, then progressed to at home care. We went through multiple nutrition plans (NG tube, E tube, TPN, commercial diets, homemade). She came near death multiple times. We managed to feed this dog through growth to adulthood. She achieved a normal expected body weight and stabilized to be a beautiful, happy dog through our efforts, and of course, the dedication of her amazing owner. This was one of my best cases.

Who has made the biggest impact on your career in animal nutrition?

My mentors, Dr. Korinn Saker, and Dr. Rebecca Remillard, have been amazing in teaching me and pushing me, giving me their time and providing guidance and real world advice. Dr. Donna Raditic has also been very supportive and a great friend during my start as a board certified nutritionist. I wish to thank all of them and am very grateful!

What do you hope to see as part of the future for animal nutrition? I hope to see MORE! More nutritionists at veterinary schools, more collaboration, creation of consensus statements on disease condition management, sharing of knowledge, and more nutrition-focused continuing education.

If you could work with a nutrition colleague in your practice for a week, who would you invite to join you? It is very hard to pick one person. I have a list that includes Dr. Joe Bartges, Dr. Katie Tolbert, Dr. Chris Willis-Mahn, so I can pick their internal medicine brains (along with their nutrition experience); Dr. Donna Raditic, so I can explore her integrative expertise; Dr. Sean Delaney, so I can gain more insight on all things related to homemade diet formulation, balancing, ingredients, etc… We have so many great colleagues we have to learn from and share with.

Please share something about yourself that none of your nutrition colleagues already know. My husband and I are avid (and obsessed) hobby runners. I am training for my third world major marathon. I hope to continue in my golden years, to keep me in good shape physically and mentally. It also gives my family a good excuse to take trips. Nutrition science is fully applicable to marathon training and running, and it's great to explore the nutrition strategies on supporting and improving performance for myself during training and endurance events.

AAVN members, we would love to highlight YOU and your work in an upcoming issue of the e-newsletter. If you're interested in participating in this new feature, please e-mail us at aavnexecutive@gmail.com

Member Research in the News

We want to recognize AAVN members who have successfully published an original research article, textbook chapter, case report, or review paper.

One of our long-time AAVN members, Joe Wakshlag, teamed up with colleagues at the University of Florida and Red Bank in New Jersey to publish an original research article in the Jan. 2023 issue of Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

Title: Evaluation of the efficacy of a cannabidiol and cannabidiolic acid rich hemp extract for pain in dogs following a tibial plateau leveling osteotomy. Check it out here!

Author/AAVN Member

Dr. Joe Wakshlag, Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine

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.

New this Year! All registered attendees will receive a 15% discount on registration for the ACVIM Forum. A promo code will be provided in AAVN Symposium registration confirmation emails.

Click Here to Register!

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, MBA

Nutrition Resident and Visiting Scholar

University of Tennessee

Thank You to Our Program Sponsor

and to

Don’t forget to register for the 2023 ACVIM Forum happening in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from June 15-17. The ACVIM Forum and the AAVN Annual Clinical Nutrition & Research Symposium have been working together to align schedules so that nutritionists can attend both events.

On Tuesday, June 13th, from 7 pm - 9 pm, we will gather on the rooftop patio of Victory Brewing Company* for drinks, snacks and incredible views of the City of Brotherly Love.

The cost to attend is just $15 for those registered to attend the AAVN Symposium (promo code was sent via email) and $25 for those who want to join in this after-hours celebration. 

Student members are welcome to attend at no charge, please contact aavnexecutive@gmail.com for your promo code.

All guests receive 2 drink tickets + a raffle ticket.

Tickets must be purchased by June 6. 

A limited number of tickets may be available onsite.

*Victory Brewing Company is located at 1776 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, approximately 1 mile from the Philadelphia Convention Center.

Thank You to Our "Party in Philly" Sponsors

The WALTHAM™ Foundation is offering grants to researchers who are working to advance the understanding of animal nutrition, health, behaviour, and welfare. Early career researchers are encouraged to apply – the closing date is May 2, 2023. Read about the grants and eligibility requirements here

Join the AAVN for TRIVIA NIGHT (we will be playing Kahoot!) on Tuesday, April 18th at 8 pm ET.

Test your veterinary nutrition- and other- knowledge and win prizes from our swag store!

**Updates, including how student chapter representatives can access travel funds for the Symposium, will be shared before the game begins!!**

Sign up now!

AAVN Student Chapter Updates

Most of our AAVN members know that the AAVN supports Student Chapters in veterinary schools across North America, but we don’t always know what they are up to (except trying to stay caught-up on sleep and eat a few decent meals during the intensity of each semester). 

A few months ago, our Student Committee surveyed student chapters by asking what they had organized at their respective schools during Fall Semester.

Eight different chapters replied with lists of lunch-and-learns, dinner meetings, wet labs, webinars, shadowing opportunities, and baking events scheduled between September 2022 and Jan/Feb. 2023.

Small animal topics ranged from ‘Understanding Pet Food Labels’ and ‘Environmental Sustainability of Pet Food’ to ‘Prebiotics and Probiotics’, ‘Managing Common Feline Diseases’ and ‘CBD in Pet Products’. Two different Student Chapters held talks on zoo nutrition; one had a Zoom talk on swine nutrition; and a third had a discussion about nutrition residency training.

We want to give a hearty shout-out to all the student leaders at the University of Pennsylvania, Colorado State University, University of Tennessee, University of Missouri, Ontario Veterinary College, Tufts University, The Ohio State University, and Louisiana State University for sharing this information with us. 

We wish you all the best on your upcoming final exams!

Student Chapters, we would love to see you at the Symposium this year!

More details about travel funds coming soon.

SAVE THE DATE!

CAVN Webinar

Thursday May 11

7 pm –8 pm ET

Puppy and Kitten Appointments: Using Evidence-Based Medicine to Address Nutrition-Related Challenges

CAVN Panelists

Dr. Moran Tal, Dr. Sarah Wilson, Dr. Jenna Manacki

To register click here

Check out all of the AAVN swag now available for purchase at

our new Spreadshop!

We have sweatshirts, aprons, mugs, water bottles, t-shirts, a bandana for your dog AND much more!

Classified Ads

Attention all registered veterinary technicians who are interested in nutrition! There is a unique opportunity available immediately at the Ontario Veterinary College.

The Ontario Veterinary College is recruiting an assistant or associate professor in canine and feline nutrition for a 2-year contract limited position.

Nestle Purina is looking to hire a veterinary nutritionist in an R&D role: Sr Veterinary Nutritionist (nestle.com)

The University of Missouri is hiring to fill clinical nutritionist positions. Here is the position announcement. If you or someone you know might be interested, please contact Dr. Robert Backus.