Career Profiles Animal Nutritionist
Working as an animal nutritionist can be quite a fulfilling and rewarding experience for you especially, if you like taking care of animals and you are concerned about their overall wellbeing. If you are considering animal nutritionist as a career and you don’t know what an animal nutritionist does, you should read the following article and find out more.
You will also find out what it takes to become an animal nutritionist and what requirements you will need before you can become a qualified and certified animal nutritionist. An animal nutritionist is plays a very important role in providing the right dietary needs for the animals under his/her care. This involves, creating and balancing rations which ensure that the dietary needs for the animals are met.
Job description of an animal nutritionist
As an animal nutritionist, you are required to take into consideration the different nutritional needs of various species as they formulate balanced rations. You will be required to also take not of the nutritional and caloric requirements which might vary based on the animal’s condition and the animal’s level of activity. The levels of activity in animals include performance, lactation, reproduction etc.
Animal nutritionists are also required to assess the fatness or thinness (also known as body condition scoring) in order to establish what adjustments should be made in the animal’s diet.
Most animal nutritionists are also involved in research or teaching. They also do work in collaboration with veterinarians, zoo keepers, wildlife rehabilitators, veterinary technicians and any other professionals who work in facilities which care for animals.
Possible career options
You can specialize in working with specific groups of animals such as livestock, wildlife or exotic animals. You can also decide to specialize in working with one species of animals such as horses, cats of cattle.
As an animal nutritionist you can also choose to work in specific environments such as the zoo, a wildlife rehabilitation facility, a farm, a research company etc. It is also possible to become a consultant in this career so long as you can balance your time well.
Most corporate employers might require the potential employee to have completed an intensive internship program and gained practical experience.
Education and training
You should at least hold a degree in Bachelor of Science which is required at the entry level in this profession. Most colleges do offer undergraduate degrees in animal nutrition. However, you can also hold a degree in animal science or biochemistry. If you want to work for a research company as an animal nutritionist you should have a Masters and PhD degree especially if you want to venture into research or teach.
As an animal nutritionist you must at least offer the following subjects in college such as, biology, animal nutrition, animal husbandry, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, animal science, forage and food production and ration formulation. During the training you will be taught how to create and balance rations using the computer and by hand.
How to become a certified animal nutritionist
You should attain board certification in the specialty of nutrition via the American College of Veterinary Nutrition (ACVN). This is a two year residency intensive program which you must take after you have completed the basic veterinary degree at entry level. This program is conducted under the supervision of a board certified veterinary nutritionist.
You can also attain certification in animal nutrition through the Academy of Veterinary Nutrition Technicians (AVNT). In order to become certified as a licensed nutrition technician, you should at least have a 3 years work experience with at least 40 hours of continuing education credits which are related to the study of animal nutrition. You should also have detailed documentation showing your experience in clinical or research.
Expected salary of an animal nutritionist
As an animal nutritionist you should at least expect to earn about $ 60,180 annually this is according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics(BLS). However, your salary can also depend on the years of experience, your level of education and the specific nature of your work as an animal nutritionist. You should also take note of the fact that the expected salary will also depend on how much money the employer is willing to pay an animal nutritionist. As mentioned in the above article a career in animal nutritionist is a rewarding experience for individuals who like to work with animals.
