Position Overview
Animals, whether pets or at zoos and farms are as important as humans are. Their health, safety, and wellbeing are our responsibility.
Many people tend to take this responsibility seriously by making a career out of working with animals. An animal nutritionist is one such individual who spends long hours each day to determine how to ensure the physical wellbeing of animals.
As an animal nutritionist, you will be required to increase and promote the importance of diet on the health and productivity of animals in different environments.
They provide advice in agricultural atmospheres as well as for animals in domestic settings. Many times, they are involved in the production of food for zoo animals and give advice on how to feed them and what is the right amount and type of feed for each animal.
Related: Animal Nutritionist Resume
At this position, you will be performing some or all of the following duties:
Animal Nutritionist Duties and Responsibilities
• Evaluate the chemical and nutritional value of animal feeds, supplements, and forage.
• Formulate dedicated, individualized diet plans to meet the specific needs of each animal.
• Ensure that all formulated diet plans and regimes are designed to maximize growth, reproduction, and health.
• Assess the nutritional and economic value of feeding systems and provide advice on bettering them.
• Perform research to determine the effectiveness of dietary regimes on different types of animals.
• Conduct animal-based studied and assist with laboratory trials.
• Monitor feed formulations to ensure that they conform to quality standards set by authorities.
• Assist in expanding animal food ranges and develop new ones to meet the dynamic needs of pet, zoo, and farm animals.
• Investigate nutritional disorders in animals and ensure that appropriate diet plans are formulated to address these disorders.
• Ensure that proper storage facilities are created and maintained for animal feeds.
• Test pet foods to determine deficiencies and provide suggestions for adding nutritional supplements to them.
• Assist large corporations and farms by providing them with education on improving the quality and quantity of their animal products.
• Maintain awareness of technical and scientific developments in animal nutrition and propose changes in existing feed formulations.
Position Requirements
Working as an animal nutritionist requires a degree in biochemistry, biosciences, health sciences, dietetics, or agriculture, depending on where you want to work.
If you have taken short courses in animal management, animal science, animal welfare, and behavior or veterinary sciences, you have a greater chance of fitting into the requirements criteria of an employer.