Actually, we do. Keep in mind that your average LVT/CVT/RVT has a minimum of an Associate’s degree in veterinary nursing, at most a Master’s. Your average DVM has at minimum a Doctorate, at most a Ph.D.

As an LVT in the state of Tennessee, I have both an Associate’s and a Bachelor’s degree. I received an entire semester course on nutrition during my initial Associate’s degree, and 3 additional courses during my remaining Bachelor’s classes. Every year I take numerous CE courses at RACE-approved conferences around the country.

Here are just a few examples of what we receive regarding nutrition, not including our yearly Continuing Education requirements (13-15 hours for Techs/Nurses, 28-32 for Doctors) in order to keep and maintain our licenses. This doesn’t even touch on Doctors who are board-certified in nutrition, as they take an additional 1-2 years of coursework and a residency literally ONLY about nutrition.

I could go on as I have comments and posts from hundreds of my fellow professionals on this. My husband is a DVM and he too had several semesters plus labs and problem-based learning programs and rotations during his undergrad at UK then his Doctorate at Auburn…and he graduated 22 years ago this year.

Here is a fantastic in-depth science-backed and well-cited article I wrote about pet nutrition, definitions, biology, etc. Click Here to give it a read and see when, how, where, and why we apply what we know.

As for kickbacks, that is yet another fallacy constantly being perpetuated in online communities and groups, and there is absolutely zero proof anywhere to the contrary. The only thing we get from pet food companies are cool pens or a hat, and maybe a free lunch every other year when they do a Lunch-and-Learn about a new product or line they are launching and want to answer all of our questions in one sit down session.

We don’t get kickbacks. Not a thing.