The Farmer’s Dog Is Sponsoring a Veterinary Nutrition Residency at the University of Tennessee. Here’s Why That Matters.

Key points:

• The Farmer’s Dog is sponsoring a clinical nutrition residency at the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
• The sponsorship is designed to prepare the veterinarian for board certification in nutrition through the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM). Only around 100 American veterinarians currently hold this certification, and three of them work for The Farmer’s Dog!
• The residency involves the design, execution, and publication of a peer-reviewed study focused on veterinary nutrition.
• The Farmer’s Dog aims for this program to contribute to the growing body of published research in animal health, open doors for new clinical nutrition training opportunities, and ultimately shape the future of pet health through academic partnerships and scientific collaboration. 

The Farmer’s Dog was founded because of a veterinarian’s advice, and our food has been formulated by board-certified nutritionists since day one. As our company has grown over the past decade, serving more than a billion meals (and counting!), we’ve remained dedicated to giving dogs the nutrition they need to live happy, healthy lives.

That’s why we’re now sponsoring a veterinary nutrition residency at the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine. The sponsorship represents a milestone for the fresh pet food industry and underscores our continued commitment to evidence-based pet health research, while nurturing the next generation of leaders in veterinary nutrition.

The sponsorship is designed to fully fund the training of a veterinarian at the University of Tennessee’s College of Veterinary Medicine, preparing them for board certification in nutrition through the ACVIM. It involves the design, execution, and publication of a peer-reviewed study focused on veterinary nutrition. By investing in independent research in pet health and disease, we aim to contribute meaningful data to the veterinary community and inform evidence-based care for dogs.

The resident will receive rigorous training in the science of nutrition, and how to apply that knowledge in a clinical practice setting—all under the mentorship of Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionists® Angela Rollins, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition), and Maryanne Murphy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Nutrition). This certification is prestigious and rare—there are only around 100 Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionists®  in the United States.

Through hands-on training, the program will prepare the resident to diagnose and manage complex nutritional cases—emphasizing the role of personalized dietary strategies in small animal medicine.

“Programs like this are critically important to develop the next generation of veterinary nutritionists and leaders in animal health,” says Dr. Rollins.

“There’s been a lot more interest lately in the science behind fresh, human-grade dog food,” says Dr. Murphy. “This program lets a resident dig deeper into that research.”

The Farmer’s Dog aims for this program to contribute to the growing body of published research in animal health, open doors for new clinical nutrition training opportunities, and ultimately shape the future of pet health through academic partnerships and scientific collaboration.

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