Unconventional nutritional therapy versus conventional veterinary nutrition

I applaud Drs. Memon and Sprunger for their effort to document teaching of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) at the accredited schools and colleges of veterinary medicine.¹ However, I was disappointed to see nutrition classified as a CAM topic. The authors defined CAM, as suggested by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, as “diverse medical and health-care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine.” I would assert, however, that nutrition is a critical part of conventional veterinary medicine. One of the challenges of veterinary nutrition is that many people call themselves “nutritionists” but have little or no training in this field. Many CAM practitioners use nutrition as part of their practice, but the scientific, evidence-based practice of nutrition is an important and integral part of optimal veterinary care.

Veterinary nutrition is one of the AVMA-recognized veterinary specialties, and there are approximately 80 board-certified veterinary nutritionists who are diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition.² Veterinary nutritionists can improve patient care, facilitate informed decision making about optimal nutrition, and enhance owner satisfaction. Veterinary nutritionists also provide training in nutrition to veterinary students, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and animal owners. Yet, fewer than half of the veterinary schools and colleges in the United States and Canada currently have a board-certified veterinary nutritionist on staff.

Drs. Memon and Sprunger warn that “survey respondents may not have distinguished between nutritional therapy and general nutrition.” In fact, this is a difficult distinction to make because both are important components of veterinary medicine and the field of veterinary nutrition covers a wide variety of topics, ranging from nutrition's role in preventative medicine to nutritional modulation of disease to assisted feeding for hospitalized animals. Nutritional guidelines for dogs and cats recently published by the American Animal Hospital Association and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association recommend that a nutritional assessment and specific nutritional recommendations be made for every patient at every visit.^3,4

To optimize patient care, the veterinary profession needs to view nutrition as an integral part of veterinary medicine and not classify it as “alternative.” Although it is true that there are many unconventional nutrition approaches being promoted for animals (and people), nutrition can and should be practiced with an evidence-based approach. I hope that our profession will become more aware of the advances in veterinary nutrition and will begin to incorporate nutrition more fully into the training of all veterinary students and into everyday practice.

Lisa M. Freeman, dvm, PhD, dacvn

Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Tufts University

North Grafton, Mass

The authors respond:

We appreciate Dr. Freeman's comments and wholeheartedly agree with her that the science and practice of evidence-based nutrition is an integral part of conventional veterinary medicine. The intent of the survey was to assess curricular coverage of alternative therapeutic approaches, including alternative nutritional approaches. We used the phrase “nutritional therapy” to describe a wide range of alternative nutritional approaches, relying on the context—a survey about complementary and alternative veterinary medicine—to help define the term. The regrettably imprecise terminology may have led some survey respondents to focus on the word nutrition, with the result that they did not restrict their responses to alternative approaches. To the extent that happened, the coverage of alternative nutritional therapy approaches may have been overstated in the survey results. Perhaps it would have been clearer if we had stated that survey respondents may not have distinguished between unconventional nutritional therapy and conventional veterinary nutrition and nutritional therapy.

We apologize for any misunderstandings resulting from the terminology, and we thank Dr. Freeman for her comments regarding the importance of evidence-based nutrition and nutritional therapy and the value of increased attention to this field in professional programs.

Mushtaq A. Memon, bvsc, PhD, dact

Department of Veterinary

Clinical Sciences

Leslie K. Sprunger, dvm, PhD

Department of Veterinary and Comparative Anatomy, Pharmacology, and Physiology

College of Veterinary Medicine

Washington State University

Pullman, Wash

Questions about coat color and aggression in cats

I want to thank the authors of the article “Agnostic behavior and environmental enrichment of cats communally housed in a shelter”¹ for an interesting report. I had two questions concerning coat color in these cats. First, were all coat colors represented in these cats? Second, what coat color groups were used in the one-way ANOVA to assess for an association between coat color and aggression?

Lawrence B. Buggia, dvm

Annabessacook Veterinary Clinic

Monmouth, Me

The author responds:

Thank you for your interesting and relevant questions. The following coat colors were represented in the study: black solid (short and long hair), tabby (short and long hair), seal color point (short hair), chocolate color point (short hair), tortoiseshell (short and long hair), bicolor black and white (short and long hair), red (short and long hair), bicolor red and white (long hair), and calico (short and long hair). All color and coat types were included in the statistical analysis, and there was no significant effect of coat color on the rate of aggression.

Leticia M. S. Dantas Divers, dvm, PhD

Behavior Service

Department of Anatomy and Radiology

College of Veterinary Medicine

University of Georgia

Athens, Ga