QSE Physiology and Nutrition Study Guide

Physiology and Nutrition is subcategory E of Foundations of Veterinary Medicine, the 54-question first domain of the 2027 AAVSB Qualifying Science Examination (QSE). Questions tend to give you a clinical picture and ask for the mechanism: why a grain-fed steer collapses, why a dehydrated dog with concentrated urine is probably not in kidney failure, how many calories a cat needs. The AAVSB does not publish how many questions each subcategory gets; only the domain weights (54, 93 and 8 of 155 scored questions) are official. Study normal function first, then the disease that follows when it fails.

Last verified on 7 October 2026 against the AAVSB Study for the QSE page, the Merck Veterinary Manual, AAHA and IRIS guidance. navleexam.com is not affiliated with the AAVSB, AVMA, ICVA or PSI. This is a study aid, not a clinical reference: check doses in a current formulary before you use them.

Where Physiology and Nutrition Sits in the 2027 QSE

The 2027 outline has three domains: Foundations of Veterinary Medicine (54 questions), Veterinary Medicine by System (93) and One Health and Professional Standards (8). Physiology and Nutrition is the fifth of nine Foundations subcategories. The AAVSB lists titles only, so the topics below are our judgment of what is high-yield, based on the outline and standard veterinary curricula.