Dr
Cecilia Villaverde BVSc, PhD, DACVN, DECVCN (EBVS European Specialist in
Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition), a Catalan veterinary nutritionist
working in Ireland, has been appointed Co-Chair of the World Small Animal Veterinary
Association’s (WSAVA’s)
Global Nutrition Committee (GNC).
A
member of the GNC for eight years, Dr Villaverde succeeds American veterinarian
Dr Gregg Takashima and will work with fellow Co-Chair Dr Marge Chandler DVM, MS,
MANZCVS, DACVN, DACVIM, MRCVS and the GNC’s members to provide continuing
education and resources to support optimal nutrition for dogs and cats.
Dr Villaverde qualified from the
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Spain, in 2000, before completing a
PhD in animal nutrition. She undertook a small animal nutrition residency at
the University of California, Davis, before returning to UAB to head the
nutrition service at its teaching hospital until 2016. She has been
board-certified in veterinary nutrition since 2010 and currently works as a
clinical nutritionist and a nutrition consultant in Ireland.
The
GNC is one of the WSAVA’s longest-serving Committees and promotes the
importance of high-quality nutrition for companion animals and the central role
of the veterinary healthcare team as the expert source of nutritional
information.
It has
created a set of WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines, together with a regularly
updated Global Nutrition Toolkit, for use by veterinary teams. Both are
available in a range of languages. The Committee’s members are based around the
world and hold different roles within the profession. They lecture and publish
widely on all aspects of nutrition for companion animals.
Commenting
on Dr Villaverde’s appointment, Dr Marge Chandler said: “Working with Gregg
Takashima was a joy and we miss him very much. He made an immeasurable
contribution to the GNC.
“I am
delighted to welcome my new Co-Chair, Dr Cecilia Villaverde, an ACVN and ECVCN
diplomate. The GNC has already achieved a great deal this year, including the
updating of the resources in our Global Nutrition Toolkit. We have even
more planned for the second half of 2021.”
Dr
Villaverde said: “Owners want the best for their pets but face an onslaught of
confusing or simply wrong information about nutrition and it can be hard for
them to navigate their way. Veterinary healthcare teams should, of course, be
the first port of call for advice on nutrition.
“We hope
they will find that the educational resources we have created in the Global
Nutrition Guidelines and accompanying Toolkit, give them the confidence to
engage proactively with owners on the subject of nutrition and put them on the
right path to feeding their pets an appropriate and well-formulated diet.”
She added:
“I am very excited to be working even more closely with Dr Chandler, who is a
role model for me.”
The
GNC’s work is generously supported by WSAVA Industry Partners the Purina Institute, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, and Royal Canin. The Committee carries out its
work independently of its Industry Partners.
