Amanda Ardente

Background

About Amanda Ardente

I founded Ardente Veterinary Nutrition LLC in August 2017, based on a long-term goal of combining my passion for nutrition with zoo and aquatic veterinary medicine. As a veterinarian with advanced training in animal nutrition and research, I understand that nutrition plays a critical role in the prevention and treatment of disease and seek to address clinically-relevant nutrition concerns for all species. In my work, I am inquisitive, energetic, dedicated, efficient, and organized. I am active in the veterinary nutrition, zoo nutrition, and zoo/aquatic veterinary communities and have established excellent rapport and collaborations with colleagues in these fields. I realized my strong interest in nutrition while attending veterinary school at North Carolina State University (NCSU) College of Veterinary Medicine. I graduated with my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2009 and remained at NCSU the following year to complete a nutrition-focused internship, gaining experience in companion animal nutrition and performing nutrition-related research in collaboration with the North Carolina Zoo. I went on to pursue a PhD in animal nutrition at the University of Florida (UF) College of Veterinary Medicine where I investigated the role of nutrition in kidney stone development in bottlenose dolphins under human care. Following successful defense of my dissertation, I completed a post-doctoral associate position with UF and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Animal Nutrition Center. In this role, I gained experience managing the nutrition of a variety of species, from insects, to sheep and goats, to birds and reptiles, to stingrays and eels, to elephants and giraffe. Some of my current regular zoo/aquatic clients include the National Marine Mammal Foundation, Georgia Aquarium, Texas State Aquarium, Atlantis Dolphin Cay, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Phoenix Zoo, Cape May County Park & Zoo, Turtle Back Zoo, Central Florida Zoo, Living Desert Zoo & Gardens, California Science Center, ABQ BioPark, Brandywine Zoo, and Salisbury Zoological Park.