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Certification Veterinary Integrative Therapeutic Nutrition

Certifications
Duration:

12 Months

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About the Course

Do you need a better dietary answer to chronic allergies because you are not finding relief or overall health using "hypoallergenic" foods or novel proteins? When a client brings you a recipe they found for their pet's urinary tract condition, do you feel you can't properly evaluate its therapeutic value? Do you wonder about the confusing ingredients in commercially available therapeutic diets and are hoping for better options? Are you interested in finding appropriate recipes for animals with liver disease, cancer or seizures but there are too many options? Are you finding weight loss a difficult and frustrating subject, and weight loss foods concerningly low in nutrition? As you discuss the effects of protein on pets with kidney disease, do you want current research and clinical nutrition data to make sense of the many food options? Do you already know that food is medicine, but you just need to understand the interaction of ingredients as a nutrient based pharmacy to treat conditions you commonly see? Let us help guide you to the answers to these and many other small animal therapeutic nutrition questions. 

The Certification in Veterinary Integrative Therapeutic Nutrition is a four-module course for the small animal practitioner and each module takes approximately three months of part-time study to complete. The whole course is undertaken over 12 months. While you will be required to formulate and evaluate recipes and diets using small animal cases during this course, you will not need a large number of diverse cases for treatment (suitable for locums, part-time veterinarians).

This course was originally developed by Barbara Fougere, DVM, Barbara Royal,DVM,  Susan Wynn, DVM, DACVN and Natasha Lilly, DVM.  Their background combines experience in clinical work and cases, pet food industry collaborations, nutrition software development, study, research and literature publications, authorship and pioneering work in nutrition, international university affiliations and professorships and worldwide leadership in progressive and effective therapeutic veterinary nutrition.  Integrative therapeutic nutrition takes a comprehensive approach to our veterinary nutrition/supplement/nutraceutical/husbandry options.  The course will provide a bridge between conventional veterinary commercial food options, supplements and pharmaceuticals, and fresh food nutrition options, and will assess both commercially available and individual recipe options for health conditions.  With a clinically relevant approach to the effect of food on health  from the microscopic to macroscopic, we will incorporate current research, species specific metabolic information, and a growing database of clinical successes to describe best practices in an integrative nutritional prescription.  

Taught and supported by a team of tutors and additional experts in their fields, this course will develop your competence and confidence to safely and effectively integrate small animal therapeutic nutrition for each of the topics into your practice. Relevant data on nutrients and practices for each medical condition will be evaluated and discussed. 

The course will provide an appropriate individual home-made therapeutic recipe for dogs and cats for each disease/condition.  Based on their examination and assessment of the patient, the small animal practitioner may decide to use these recipes as is, or as a template to further develop appropriate individualized recipes for patients. These recipes are not for commercial use.

Free CIVT Membership

Students enrolled in the Certification in Veterinary Integrative Therapeutic Nutrition course are eligible for one year free membership of CIVT. Membership benefits include free and discounted webinars, extended course enrolments, access to journals and databases, and more.

Please note that this is an evidence-based course delivered by qualified and experienced practitioners but is not an Australian government-accredited qualification.

Communication and course materials

  • Modified online lectures
  • Forum participation
  • Animal Diet Formulator
  • Reading of journal articles and texts
  • Exploring web resources
  • Email support

Assessments

Research assignments and dietary plans. 

Course Outcomes

On completion of this program veterinarians will have the knowledge and skills necessary to:

  • Understand the biological parameters of various clinical disorders and disease states based on evidence and clinical data as they relate to nutrition and food-related husbandry practices
  • Successfully integrate a core of therapeutic nutrition recipes into veterinary practice
  • Plan individualized recipe prescriptions to treat animals safely and effectively
  • Create appropriate and effective therapeutic recipes for veterinary conditions
  • Assess the quality and therapeutic potential of therapeutic diets, nutraceuticals, supplements, and recipes
  • Manage a nutraceutical and ingredient list for your patients
  • Develop handouts and husbandry approaches to support therapeutic nutrition
  • Advise clients on the rational, effectiveness and safe use of fresh, raw, cooked, freeze dried, air dried, and ultra-processed therapeutic diets
  • Access and evaluate information available from a variety of sources, including social media, the pet food industry, peer reviewed research, and professional veterinary nutrition resources
Dr Barbara Royal
Dr Natasha Lilly

Meet the Tutors and Lecturers

Dr Barbara Royal
DVM, CVA, CVNN, FACVBM
Dr. Barbara Royal, is a Chicago-based integrative veterinarian, IVAS certified acupuncturist, author, and educator with extensive experience in veterinary care, including a zoo, marine, and wildlife animals, nutrition, acupuncture, emergency...
3 Webinars and 3 Courses
DVM, CVA
Since graduating from UC Davis with honors and a focus on Equine Medicine, Dr Lilly has continued her ongoing quest for options in health including certifications in acupuncture (IVAS 2010) and Chinese Herbal Medicine (Chi Institute 2012). She...
2 Courses

What will you Learn

  • General principles of therapeutic nutrition
  • Breed-specific considerations
  • Lifestage-specific considerations
  • Longevity considerations

Nutritional aspects of diseases relating to the following systems:

  • Periodontal
  • Gastrointestinal
  • Hepatobiliary
  • Pancreatic
  • Renal
  • Urinary tract
  • Cardiovascular
  • Musculoskeletal
  • Neurological
  • Behavioural
  • Metabolic/endocrine
  • ...
  • General principles of therapeutic nutrition
  • Breed-specific considerations
  • Lifestage-specific considerations
  • Longevity considerations

Nutritional aspects of diseases relating to the following systems:

  • Periodontal
  • Gastrointestinal
  • Hepatobiliary
  • Pancreatic
  • Renal
  • Urinary tract
  • Cardiovascular
  • Musculoskeletal
  • Neurological
  • Behavioural
  • Metabolic/endocrine
  • Trauma/post-op
  • Allergies/dermatology
  • Cancer/neoplastic
Read More
Certification Veterinary Integrative Therapeutic Nutrition

Before you take the course

Below requirements are needed before you can take this course.

You should have independent computer skills and be able to access the internet. 

Pre-requisite Courses

Below are the required course(s) that you need to complete

Certification Veterinary Natural Nutrition
View Course

Frequently Asked Questions

Want to know more about the questions that our students asked?
Is online study right for me?

The College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies offers courses that are both challenging and rewarding. You can learn at your own pace under the tutelage of experts in their field. Online or distance learning is not for everyone. Think carefully before you enroll. To succeed in online learning and distance education you will need:

  • A commitment to study and enquiry
  • To be capable of self directed learning with our guidance and support through your course
  • Motivation to pursue your course of study
  • Access to the internet and a printer
  • A good internet service that provides a good speed for downloads
  • An enthusiasm for engaging with your tutors and peers
  • The ability to work on your own or collaborate in a team
  • The capability of an independent level of written and spoken English
  • An appointment by phone may be requested prior to course commencement- we don't want you to start if we think we can't provide the right experience for you
  • If you are not sure contact us, we can help you gain a  full understanding of our courses before applying.

What you won't need is to pay airfares, travel, hotel bills by participating in green education!

All our courses are available to enrol at any time.  Our courses are part time, self paced within the course timeframe, and fully online.  Sometimes there is a scheduled start date for a course, in which we accept a group intake of enrolments. This encourages a cohort of students to move through the course together, making for a more interactive learning experience.

Although some courses have live sessions available, there are no live sessions that you are required to attend for any of our courses.  Our courses are delivered online and are self paced within the course timeframe, to give you the greatest flexibility with your study. You can study anywhere, anytime that suits you. We have great learning tools such as lectures, comprehensive course notes, videos, online resources, discussion forum and continuous support from our highly qualified and experienced tutors to help you can get the most out of your course.

Please refer to our enrolment terms and conditions when seeking extra time in a course, https://civtedu.org/enrolment-terms-and-conditions 

If you take a "leave of absence/deferral" from a course this freezes your progress in the course.  You will have no access to the course during this time.  A request for a leave of absence/deferral can be made for up to 3 months, initially.  Longer periods of time away from the course can be reviewed after this time.  If you want to use any course resources whilst you are taking your leave of absence/deferral you will need to download the material (such as documents, course notes, reading material) beforehand.  There is no fee to take a leave of absence/deferral, however your regular payment instalments for the course will continue.

If you request an "extension" for a course, you may be given extra time in a course and still have full access to the course.  An extension can be granted for up to, or equal to, the maximal period of study for that course.  There is a fee involved in applying for an extension, this varies according to the amount of extra time requested and is found on the link provided.

 

This depends on the type of course you enrol in.

Our introductory or short courses require approximately 3-5 hours per week.  Our Certifications and Graduate Diplomas require approximately 5-10 hours per week.  This will vary amongst individuals, depending on the pace in which they learn.  More time may be needed each week, depending on how long an individual needs to spend on completing assignments. 

If you are a registered Veterinarian, you are eligible to enrol in any of our courses, https://civtedu.org/courses 

If you are a Veterinary Technician or Veterinary Nurse or Animal Health Professional you may be able to apply to enrol in selected courses for Veterinarians, however you will need to go through an eligibility process first. Otherwise, you can apply for our courses for Animal Health Professionals, https://civtedu.org/courses/animal-health-professionals 

If you are a Pet Owner, you can apply for our courses designed for Pet Owners, https://civtedu.org/courses/pet-owners 

 

Earn your own CIVT certificate of completion

The College of Integrative Veterinary Therapies offers courses that are both challenging and rewarding. You can learn at your own pace under the tutelage of experts in their field. What you won’t need is to pay airfares, travel, hotel bills by participating in green education!

Your certificate will be issued in your legal name and sent to you upon successful completion of the program, as per the stipulated requirements.

Payment Options

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$3,495.00 USD
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$3,845.00 USD

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Extend your knowledge with our Webinars

Access webinars in your preferred time or join with our upcoming live webinars
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Endocrinology: Think food, then hormones
Dr Steve Marsden DVM ND MSOM FACVBM GDVA GDVCHM Dipl.AC Dipl.CH AHGDr
Natural Nutrition in Integrative Cancer Therapy
Natural Nutrition in Integrative Cancer Therapy
Dr Mio Shinohara Royce BVM, PhD, GDip VCHM