Currently Ardente Veterinary Nutrition is focused on providing nutrition consultation to zoos and aquariums. The following list of services provides a description of the types of consults offered and associated starting costs, but Dr. Ardente will customize each consultation to meet the unique needs of the facility.
Zoo/Aquarium Nutrition Consultations
Healthy individual animal or species group (Starting $300)
- Primary point of contact: veterinary team, if possible
- Background investigation performed
- Review medical records
- Review current diet
- Perform current diet nutrient analysis through outside laboratories (separate fee, not included)
- Facility to sample diet items via step-by-step instructions provided
- Provide veterinary team with results of nutrient analyses
- Recommend diet modification through detailed written report provided to veterinary team
- Inclusion of new product through current or additional vendor may be recommended
- Recommend follow-up diagnostic plan and review case progress, with 1 built-in diet modification provided if needed (based on condition, diet consumption, husbandry/training dynamics, etc)
Incoming new species (Starting $300)
- Primary points of contact: veterinary team or animal curators/managers
- Background investigation performed
- Review current diet item options available at institution
- Review husbandry of species, current literature, and obtain input from other holding facilities
- Develop initial diet plan, including diet items and feeding frequency, based on above review
- Recommend follow-up diagnostic plan and review case progress, with 1 built-in diet modification provided if needed (based on condition, diet consumption, husbandry/training dynamics, etc)
Entire collection diet evaluation (Starting $5,000)
- Primary points of contact: veterinary team or animal curators/managers
- Custom package based on size and diversity of collection
- At least one site visit recommended
- Background investigation performed
- Review current diet item options available at institution
- Review husbandry of species, current literature, and obtain input from other holding facilities
- Recommend current diet nutrient analysis, as needed, by outside laboratories
- Facility to sample diet items via step-by-step instructions provided
- Provide veterinary team with results of nutrient analyses
- Recommend diet modification through detailed written report provided to veterinary team
- Inclusion of new product through current or additional vendor may be recommended
- Recommend follow-up diagnostic plan and review case progress, with 1 built-in diet modification provided if needed (based on condition, diet consumption, husbandry/ training dynamics, etc)
Follow-up evaluations ($100-200)
- Case dependent, includes one additional diet evaluation/modification with up to 2 follow-up phone calls and/or emails
Site visits (Travel expenses, including travel, lodging, and $30/day per diem meals/incidentals)
- Recommended for entire collection diet review
- Available upon request for individual or population diet evaluations
Continuing education lectures
- Available for veterinarians, curators, zoo keepers and/or aquarists
- Arranged as distance education or in-person visit