5. Adverse Food Reactions
246,00 €
This is the fifth module of Vet Clinical Nutrition Academy.
The full bundle of 60-hour program (12 modules) is available here: Vet Clinical Nutrition – 60-hour course
In this module, we focus on adverse food reactions in dogs and cats, including both food intolerances and true food allergies. Participants explore diagnostic approaches, elimination diet protocols and practical strategies for supporting patients with dermatological and gastrointestinal signs related to diet.
Key topics include:
• Food intolerances – diagnosis and nutritional management
• Food allergies – dermatological manifestations in dogs and cats
• Step-by-step elimination diet protocol, including re-challenge
• Practical challenges: owner compliance, treats, supplements, hidden ingredients
• Supporting the skin barrier with targeted nutrients (essential fatty acids, vitamins, antioxidants)
• Dietary management of patients with atopic dermatitis
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing this module, you will be able to:
• Plan and supervise an elimination diet trial and re- challenge phase.
• Select appropriate test diets (hydrolysed or novel protein) and avoid confounding factors that may compromise the trial.
• Interpret trial outcomes accurately and communicate clinical steps to owners.
Schedule:
26 Feb 2026 – Pre‑recorded material (2 h)
5 Mar 2026 – Live: cases + Q&A (2 h)
Total ~4 h
(Live sessions take place at 7:30 p.m. CEST via Google Meet.)
Live meetings include case discussions and small-group workshops. The course also includes supporting literature, practical tools, knowledge-check quizzes, and access to a private Facebook community.
It is conducted in English.
This is a fully online program that you can complete from anywhere, at your own pace.
This module provides a comprehensive, evidence based overview of adverse food reactions in dogs and cats. Participants learn to differentiate between food intolerances and food allergies, understand common dermatological and gastrointestinal presentations and identify when dietary trials are indicated.
A central component of the module is the elimination diet protocol, presented in a clear, step-by-step format. This includes selecting an appropriate test diet, managing the trial period, ensuring strict compliance, navigating hidden ingredients and planning the re-challenge phase to confirm diagnosis. The module also addresses real world challenges such as treats, supplements, feeding environments and multi pet households.
Participants explore the role of dietary components that support the skin barrier, including essential fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants, and how these can be incorporated into broader management plans. The module also covers dietary considerations for atopic dermatitis, with practical guidance on integrating nutrition into multimodal dermatology care.
By the end of this module, participants will be confident in designing, supervising and interpreting elimination diet trials and in providing clear, evidence based communication to pet owners navigating food related skin and gastrointestinal issues.
Dr Kerstin Gerstner, DVM, Dr. med. vet., Dip ECVCN
Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionist, EBVS® European Specialist in Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition
She obtained her veterinary degree by the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany in 2009. Her doctoral thesis – at the Institute of Veterinary Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland (“Disturbed eating at high altitude”, Dr. med. vet., 2012) was followed by one year as a postdoctoral research assistant. She was the first resident completing a standard residency program of the European College for Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition at the Institute of Animal Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Zurich (EBVS® European Specialist in Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition, 2018). As a research assistant at the Institute of Animal Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Zurich until 2021 Kerstin focused on clinical nutrition provided by the veterinary nutrition consultation service, was involved in teaching of students, veterinarians as well as pet owners and was part of various research projects. From 2022 Kerstin follows her passion in clinical nutrition and dietetics, spreading scientifically based knowledge to support pet’s health by healthy, individually suitable nutrition as veterinary specialist in Marigin Zentrum für Tiermedizin, a big veterinary clinic and referral centre in Feusisberg, Switzerland. “My daily motivation is to impart scientifically based specialized veterinary knowledge in order to support our pets with balanced nutrition as an essential basis for life and health. It fascinates me that even with more than 10 years of experience in this field, every day brings something new, no two cases are the same and every animal benefits from an individually adapted diet.”
The VCNA course has been designed primarily for veterinarians who wish to deepen their expertise in the dietary management of canine and feline diseases.
It is also suitable for veterinary technicians, animal nutritionists, veterinary students, and pet food professionals interested in the clinical application of nutrition.
