Full Schedule
All Speakers

Donna Raditic, DVM, DACVN

Title

Consultant

Company

Nutrition and Integrative Medicine Consultants

Panel discussion:

Fresh/human-grade pet food research and executive panel: Why digestibility, the microbiome and other factors differ —  Fresh and human-grade pet food, and similar formats and formulations, keep gaining in sales and popularity with pet owners, with more companies continuing to enter the category. This growth has spurred new research on nutritional aspects of such pet foods, showing that digestibility, microbial populations, nutrient:calorie ratios, energy estimates and other factors differ; they are not better or worse, just different. This has implications for ingredient sourcing, testing, feeding guidelines and other issues related to product development. Leading researchers will present highlights of their latest studies, then be joined by executives of fresh pet food companies for discussion and Q&A. Topics and experts include:

  • Recent data on fresh and human-grade diets related to nutrient digestibility, fecal output and the microbiome — Kelly Swanson, Ph.D., professor of animal nutrition, University of Illinois
  • Pet food categorization: not all calories are the same — Donna Raditic, DVM, CVA, DACVN, Nutrition and Integrative Medicine Consultants
  • Implications of accurate energy estimates/feeding guidelines with veterinarians, pet owners in mind — Martha Cline, DVM, DACVN, Red Bank Veterinary Hospitals
  • Executives joining the panel discussion include Gerardo Perez-Camargo, DVM, PhD., Freshpet; Oscar Chavez, BVetMed, MRCVS, JustFoodForDogs; and Justin Shmalberg, DVM, DACVN, DAVSMR, NomNomNow

Experience:

Donna Raditic, DVM, DACVN, is graduate of Cornell University College of Agriculture Animal Sciences, Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine and a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition. She was a professor for both the nutrition and the integrative medicine services at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Currently, she is a member of East Coast Think Tank established by Veterinary Nutritional Consultations Inc., which offers independent information and consulting about companion animal nutrition and pet supplements. With a career that includes being a general practitioner, veterinary nutritionist, academician and consultant, she offers unique perspectives on the role of nutrition, supplements and integrative veterinary care for companion animals.