Nutrition

Clinical Nutrition I – A Comprehensive Approach to the role of Nutrition in Health and Disease

registration open

 

Vienna / Austria

26.05.2025 – 30.05.2025

2.350.-*

2.250.-*(early registration deadline: 01.02.2025)

* eLibrary access is included in the course fee

Total hours: 40
ATF hours (Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland): TBA
ECTS credits (Master & Certificate): 5

Principal Course Master:

Dr.med.vet. Irene Bruckner, specialist in veterinary nutrition and dietetics (AT)

Course Master:

Dr.med.vet. Stefanie Handl, specialist in veterinary nutrition and dietetics, Dipl. ECVCN (AT)

Course Overview

In this first of two courses in clinical nutrition, we will polish up your knowledge on nutrition physiology. Anatomy and physiology of the digestive tract, digestion and nutrient absorption will be reviewed plus the differences between species explained. Links between digestion, nutritient utilization and other organ systems in health and disease will be shown.
Second, we will focus on the value of the nutritional assessment of your patients. Students will learn how to obtain a complete feeding history, identify common feeding mistakes, educate owners on pros and cons of different types of feeding and resolve common myths and misunderstandings.
To achieve that, we will provide insights into pet food production, ingredients, quality management, and legal regulations. Students will learn how to evaluate commercial diets and help to owners choosing the right product for their pet, depending on breed, size, life stage, activity, etc.
We will further cover the topic of home-made diets, from raw feeding (“BARF”) to vegetarian/vegan feeding. Student will gain basic knowledge on feed science and ration calculation for health dogs and cats.
The second part of the course is dedicated to the dietary principles in most common diseases like renal insufficiency, urolithiasis, gastrointestinal problems, allergies, etc.
Practical exercises and workshops like evaluating the feeding history, Body Condition Scoring, interpretation of pet food labels etc. will be integrated every day. Case studies from various experts will be presented and evaluated with the students.
Also, basic knowledge of feeding rabbits, rodents, pet birds and other exotic patients will be part of the course.

Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, participants will:
• have profound knowledge of nutrient requirements and physiology
• be able to confidently approach a nutritional consultation and evaluate a feeding history
• have knowledge of pet food legislation and pert food production and be able to evaluate pet food labels critically
• be able to consult owners who prefer home-made diets and be familiar with the basics of ration calculation
• be able to choose a dietary treatment for the most common diseases going hand in hand with the medical treatment and to communicate the main points to the pet owner

Main topics:
• digestive anatomy and physiology
• nutrient requirements in different life stages and with special needs (dogs and cats)
• applied feed science
• obtaining and assessing dietary history
• choosing diet and feeding management
• legislation and labelling
• pros and cons of home-made diets
• basic ration calculation
• finding the right feeding method and product for patients with
o weight problems
o allergies
o acute and chronic gastroenteritis
o hepatic disease
o pancreatitis / pancreatic insufficiency
o chronic renal insufficiency
o urolithiasis
o and other common problems

Course program (Subject to change)

Monday, 26 May 2025
08:30 – 09:00 Welcome and Registration SH IB
09:00 – 09:45 Welcome Quiz SH IB
09:45 – 10:30 How all patients will benefit from optimized feeding – Group discussion IB SH
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:45 Dietary assessment of patients in your daily practice – understanding the owners´perspective SH IB
11:45 – 12:30 What goes in must come out – Nutrition and digestive health SH IB
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break
13:30 – 15:15 recognizing consequences of nutrient deficiencies and oversupply (requirements) IB SH
15:15 – 15:45 Coffee Break
15:45 – 16:30 Only inner values count – feed analysis… SH IB
16:30 – 17:00 … and feed ingredients (memory) SH IB
17:30 Welcome Drink
Tuesday, 27 May 2025

08:30 – 09:00 Recap from Monday IB SH
09:00 – 10.30 Different life stages require different feeding approaches incl. cases SH IB
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 – 11:45 Physiology memory game SH IB
11:45 – 12:30 Workup of the dermatological patient, diagnosis, elimination diets IB SH 12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break
13:30 – 14:15 Allergy cases – group work SH IB
14:15 – 15:00 A heavy task – Managing Obesity IB SH
15:00 – 15:30 Coffee Break
15:30 – 16:30 Intestinal microbiome – new insights and influence of diets JS
16:30 – 17:00 Wrap Up Quiz. Quick Self-Assessment

Wednesday, 28 May 2025

08:30 – 09:00 Recap from Tuesday IB SH
09:00 – 09:45 New insights into pancreatic disease AM
09:45 – 10:30 Pancreatic disease – cases and management AM
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:00 Dietary fibres – “the joker” in gi disease JF
12:00 – 12:30 Nutrition support for the liver patient IB SH
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch break
13:30 – 15:00 no more “shit happens” – managing gastritis/enteritis/IBD SH IB
15:00 – 15:30 Coffee Break
15:30 – 16:30 Who is “big brother”? FEDIAF and the European pet food market TB
16:30 – 17:00 Wrap Up. Quick Self-Assessment

Thursday, 29 May 2025

08:30 – 09:00 Recap from Wednesday
09:00 – 10:30 Facts and fiction about commercial diets IB SH
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 – 12:30 The urinary tract patient, different stones and diets IB SH
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch break
13.30 – 14:30 Rabbits & Rodents – healthy feeding and common mistakes AL
14:30 – 15:30 Birds and Reptiles – what to feed and what not AL
15:30 – 16:00 Coffee break
16:00 – 16: 45 Chronic Renal failure – another call for the right diet SH IB
16:45 – 17:00 Wrap Up. Quick Self-Assessment IB SH

Friday, 30 May 2025

08:00 – 08:30 Recap from Thursday
09:00 – 10:30 Not only sticks and stones may brake bones – Nutrition and orthopaedic disease IB SH
10:00 – 10:30 Coffee Break
10:30 – 11:30 How to become a chef – basic calculations and tips for home made diets IB SH
11:45 – 12:15 If bad comes to worst – multimorbid and critically ill patients SH IB
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch break
13:30 – 14.15 European Feed Law: good and not-so-good examples of pet food declaration and claims
(and why a vet should know) FD
14.15 – 15.00 Insights in the work of a feed legislation officer FD
15:00 – 15:30 Coffee Break
15:30 – 16:30 take home workshop / summary/ discussion, certificates SH IB

Course location

Jufa Hotel, Mautner-Markhof-Gasse 50, 1110 Vienna, Austria