Credential Requirements

Credential Requirements dictate that each applicant, before he or she is declared eligible for examination, must:

• Be a credentialed Veterinary Technician in some State or Province of the United States, Canada, or other country and have not obtained another VTS certification within 3 years prior to submitting an AVNT application.
• It is strongly encouraged that the candidate be a member of the NAVTA and a member of the AAVN.

After graduating from a recognized school of Veterinary Technology and becoming credentialed to practice as a Veterinary Technician candidates must meet education and experience requirements, as specified:
1. Three years (a minimum of 4,000 hrs) work experience or its equivalent in the field of animal nutrition, clinical or research based. All experience must be completed within three years prior to the application.

2. A minimum of forty (40) continuing education (CE) hours related to veterinary nutrition, animal nutrition, or nutrition research.

1. 40 hours of CE in the subject of nutrition is required, collected within 3 years of your application submittal, with at least 10 hours the year the application is submitted.  Of those 40 hours, not more than 10% can be company specific on-line CE. Of the CE submitted, 80% must be related to canine, feline, equine or bovine nutrition.  Up to 20% can be alternate species. Proof of attendance is required. A copy of your registration is preferred, a copy of the proceedings book or CD along with a signed letter acknowledging attendance from your supervising veterinarian is acceptable.
2. Submission of continuing education information must be on the AVNT form. Continuing education must be RACE certified or its equivalent. On-line CE is accepted if it meets the RACE requirement.  It is advised that speakers be VTS or Diplomates of ACVN, ACVIM, or ECC.  If you feel that a non-RACE or other CE is of sufficient quality, please submit copies of the conference proceedings with you application.  The application committee reserves the right to accept or decline any CE submitted.

3. Provide the documentary evidence of advanced competence in veterinary nutrition through one or a combination of two routes: Clinical or Research.

1. Completion of the Veterinary Nutrition Technician Skills Form. The skills form documents those skills that have been mastered by the candidate and are necessary to practice as veterinary nutrition technicians at an advanced level. The form will be provided by the credentials approval committee. It is subject to change based upon the current state of the art in veterinary nutrition.
2. A case record log or research log is maintained for one (1) year immediately preceding the submission of the application.
   1. Clinical- A minimum of forty (40) cases (clinical) must be recorded. The cases shall reflect the management of nutrition as related to the patient and mastery of advanced veterinary nutrition skills. The log should include the following: Date, Patient identification (name or number), species/breed, age, sex, weight, veterinary diagnosis or research design, length of care, final outcome, and summary of nutrition technician techniques, skills, and procedures performed by the applicant on the patient.
   2. Research- One (1) year within the three (3) years immediately proceeding application must consist of veterinary/animal research or research using veterinary nutrition technician observations as a major portion of the study. This research shall reflect the management of the veterinary nutrition patient and mastery of advanced nutrition and research skills. The research log should include the following: Purpose of the study, duration of the study, participant’s identification (name or number), species/breed, age, sex, weight, nutrition parameters being measured, method of measurement, findings, and summary of nutrition technician/nursing techniques and procedures performed by the applicant on any of the participants.
3. Five (5) detailed case reports. Case reports must demonstrate expertise and understanding of principles in the management of a variety of veterinary patients or research participants requiring veterinary nutrition services. Case reports must represent at least two different species.  More variety of species is strongly encouraged. The case reports should be selected from the case record log or research log. Case reports must be the original work of the applicant.
4. Three electronically completed Potential Examination Questions specific to the area of specialty. Multiple choice with references from the accepted reading list. No true/false or fill in the blank accepted. Must use guidelines posted on AVNT web site.
5. Two (2) letters of recommendations from the following four (4) categories: a VTS (Nutrition) member, a supporting Veterinarian, a veterinarian who is a member of the American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition, or a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition, American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and other Diplomates deemed appropriate by the Board of Regents.