News

Veterinary Dentistry – a specialty more and more vets are interested in

107689090_586395245408237_9164811178664762081_oThe workshops organised by the Romanian Society of Orofacial Surgery and Veterinary Dentistry (RSVD) is becoming a tradition. The tiltle of the workshops that were organized in several cities of Romania was “Treatment options and prophyaxis in periodontal disease” (in dogs and cats, of course). As you already know, periodontal disease is the most common pathology in pets and it can have severe local and systemic complications that affect the quality of life of our beloved cats and dogs. Although it is very common, the disease is mostly treated in very advanced stages when the teeth cannot be saved anymore. The workshops lasted for 2 days. On the first day, the participants, both veterinarians and veterinary students, gained more knowledge regarding conscious oral examination, detailed oral examination under sedation, dental charting, specific instruments, scale and polish and oral homecare.

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The second day was dedicated to the more pragmatic treatment option in advanced stages of periodontal disease: the dental extraction. The participants learned a lot regarding indications and contraindications of dental extractions, dental blocks, simple extractions, surgical extractions and possible complications of dental extractions. Both days started with theoretical presentations and ended with the practical part so that the participants could exercise their new dental skills. The founding members of RSVD, Dr. Raluca Zvorasteanu, Dr. Iulia Milin, Dr. Dan Sebastian and Dr. Elena Nenciulescu, were also the speakers of the events. “The main purpose of the Romanian Society of Orofacial Surgery and Veterinary Dentistry is to bring together veterinarians, veterinary nurses and veterinary students to raise awareness of the importance of veterinary dentistry, to increase the professional level of veterinary dentistry in Romania and also to defend the values and interests of the Romanian veterinary community”, said Dr. Raluca Zvorasteanu, President of RSVD. According to Dr. Zvorasteanu, at least 9 out of 10 patients have some sort of dental disease and 100% of patients need oral homecare. “We like to promote prophylaxis as <the best treatment option> ”.

“We are all together”- such a beautiful initiative and wonderful vets from 12 countries share their love, because sharing is carying

10334323_1650417485231859_7490271749546982451_nVeterinarians from 12 countries have shown their concern for the veterinary world in time of Pandemic and social isolation.

We would like to express our gratitude to all of them:

Romania: Dr Robert Popa, Dr Constantin Ifteme, Dr Florin Delureanu, Dr Raluca Zvorasteanu, Dr Lucian Fodor, Dr Diana Soare, Dr Giulia Nadasan, Dr Alexandra Curac, Dr Alexandru Vitalaru, Vet student Ilinca Zarinschi

Bulgaria: Dr Yovko Haralanov, Dr Spas Spasov. Dr Luba Gancheva, Dr Todor Kalinov, Dr Sofia Sinadinova, Dr Yavor Stoyanov

Serbia: Dr Andrija Dakovic, Dr Zoran Loncar, Dr Nikola Katic, Dr Goran Cvetkovic, Dr Ivana Jovandine

Slovenia: Dr Ana Nemec

Croatia: Dr Lea Kreszinger

North Macedonia: Dr Svetla Drakulovska

Turkey: Dr Murat Saroglu

Italy: Dr Luca Formaggini

UK: Dr Luca Ferasin

Belgium: Dr Ann Criel

Switzerland: Dr Katharina Brunner

Portugal: Dr Dr Goncalo Da Garca Periera

 

Here you can watch all of them here in our channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj3rBMaB1sD1hXHWIhcrkmw/videos

 

 

 

 

ABCD & Boehringer Ingelheim invite applications for the 2020 Young Scientist Award

ABCDThe European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD) invites applications for the 2020 ABCD & Boehringer Ingelheim Award, which aims to reward innovative and outstanding work by promising young professionals in the field of feline infectious diseases and/or applied immunology.

 

Candidates should have made an original contribution to the field of feline infectious diseases and/or immunology, which has been published or accepted for publication in a referenced journal or accepted by another assessing body in 2018 or later.

 

Candidates should be based in Europe, have completed a veterinary or biomedical curriculum, and ideally be under 35 years of age at the time of application.

 

Applications should be made in English in an electronic format and include a short abstract (max. 500 words) of the work the applicant wishes to submit, as well as a short curriculum vitae and two personal references. Any relevant publications and/or dissertation on the topic should be included. The deadline for submission is 15 April 2020.

 

The 2020 award (1000€) is funded by Boehringer Ingelheim and will be presented by the ABCD at the congress of the International Society of Feline Medicine, to be held from 10 to 14 June 2020 in Rhodes, Greece. The award winner will receive a complimentary registration to this congress. Return travel expenses and accommodation will also be covered to allow the laureate to attend the event. The winner is expected to give a short presentation or present a poster of his/her findings at this event.

 

The Young Scientist Award was created in 2008 jointly by Boehringer Ingelheim (then Merial) and the ABCD.

 

The 2019 recipient of the Award was Rosina Ehmann (Germany).

 

Application forms and detailed rules can be downloaded from the ABCD web site (www.abcdcatsvets.org)

For further information, please contact Karin de Lange, ABCD secretary, kdelange@invivo.edu

Friends of Vets on The Balkans- Dr Liliya Mihaylova

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Dr Liliya Mihaylova

Today we will present to you another friend of Vets on The Balkans, Dr Liliya Mihailova.

 

She is veterinary surgeon at the biggest veterinary clinic in Varna, Bulgaria. One of the most famous cardiologist in Bulgaria, teacher and friend of many many vets in Bulgaria and not only.

Let her friends and colleagues discribe her:

 

 

 

78508821_961764280857493_2739612204776030208_nLUIGI VENCO, DVM , SCPA, Dipl EVPC, Pavia, Italy

 

“When I first met Liliya Mihaylova, I immediately thought she was shy. Then working with her I realized that she is not shy at all. She is an incredibly sweet and respectful person. And the same sweetness and respect she puts into her profession and into relationships with the people around her. We had the opportunity to work together for months, we met each other at courses and conferences in every part of the world and she is always smiling. I was able to appreciate how brilliant she is as a veterinarian but if ask me if I prefer her human or professional aspect I can tell you that I prefer both and that if they are in the same person and if you’re lucky enough to be her friend , you’re very lucky, as I am”
 

61339937_10219962671486451_5841102552728338432_oDr Gergana Vitanova, veterinarian in veterinary clinic Albaitar, Ruse, Bulgaria

“Life meets you with different people. Some of them manage to provoke you to do your best with their example. Dr. Mihailova is exactly that. There is no way that you will not be infected by this difficult combination – uncompromising professionalism and the rarely found kindness.”

 

 

 

 

25442892_719068364966330_5338298658327192274_nFlorin Delureanu,DVM, MRCVS, veterinarian from Romania

“I met Liliya in the summer of 2017 through a veterinary medical event in Bucharest. During the lunch break she sat next to me and asked me where and for how long i work as a veterinarian and if the clinic where i work is a big one. Even though the discussion from that day was short, she left me a good impression. About 5 months later, in the winter of the same year, I decided to contact her with the intention of spending my winter holidays in the clinic where she works (United Veterinary Clinic-Varna) to develop even more my knoledge. I was pleasantly surprised by the speed and promptness with which she answered me, the answer being a positive one. After arriving in Varna, Liliya was very polite and intended to give me a lift from the bus station to the clinic. When i arrived at the clinic, i was very excited and wanted to help because there were so many patients waiting and Liliya was very open minded from day one and offered me the opportunity to participate with her in a few surgeries. She also had a pleasant attitude both at work and outside of work, was very friendly and gave me many tips. She has contributed a bit to my present by encouraging me and supporting me to move to another country (England) to develop myself. Because she is in a continuous development especially in the field of cardiology and endoscopy, i can say that she has given me many details, tips and tricks regarding this field! I have a lot of respect for Liliya, and i am grateful for the nice experience she offered me i am honored to know her!”

 

 

78608501_2993069480722815_5314071698566283264_oDr Spas Spasov, veterinarian at veterinary clinic Dr Antonov, Varna, Bularia

“What can I say about Lily.

We’ve known each other for almost 7 years.

She is one of the sweetest people I know, dedicated to her work and friends.

You can always count on her, both for work and if you just want to talk to her about things other than work.

Lily is a person who motivates us to be better professionals and people.

Her desire for continuous development is inspiring.

What else can I tell you about her … she’s always late, hahaha , she’s often quite distracted because she thinks about 100 things hahaha.

Big animal lovers: she has a dog, a cat, two parrots and a fish.

Quite often, she takes care of a wounded wild boar, for example, an owl, a gull, a sparrow, a pigeon, etc. .

When you go to visit her, you actually go to a small home full of friendly animals.

 

Of course, these things are not enough to describe the Lily as a person and a friend.

In conclusion, Lilia is a wonderful doctor and friend, and I am more than happy to have   her in my life”

 

THANK YOU Liliya for being such a good friend of Vets on The Blakans!59910676_10219811414505121_5136066701674151936_o

 

Friends of Vets on The Balkans- Dr Lea Kreszinger

Today we will present one of our friends, vet and friend who always support Vets on The Balkans, Dr Lea Kreszinger.

12507257_1321202834572913_5626344650040540301_nShe is an owner of 24 hours veterinary clinic in Zagreb, Croatia, she is also the head of Croation Small Animal Section, Director of FECAVA for Croatia and mother of 4 kids….. We can say just super woman.

Let’s her friends discribe more about her:

 

22007383_10159506036200531_1581377269244761437_nDr Wolfgang Dohne

Wolfgang is senior veterinary surgeon and founder of the Virginia Water Veterinary Clinic and Senior President of FECAVA

“Lea is one of the most extraordinary people I had the pleasure of meeting in my professional life. She manages to combine a fine interlect with both mental and physical strength. I see Lea as role model for a new breed of veterinary professionals – highly skilled with a constant appetite to improve her knowledge and her skills, but at the same time being acutely aware of the importance of physical exercise and wellbeing and a good work life balance. There are not a lot of people I know who can combine raising virtually singlehanded four children, running a successful veterinary clinic, competing in various sportsevents, organising nummerous CPD events and still finding time – and strength – to enjoy the finer things in life with her friends.”

 

31675106_10156528301028738_1797739977140862976_oDr Vladislav Zlatinov

Veterinary surgeon Central Veterinary Clinic

 

“Lea is unique and extremely strong woman character. I have been gifted with her friendship for many years. I have always been respected. How one woman could be an excellent surgeon, opinion leader in the area, successful practice manager, organizer of massive scale vet events, mother of four kids, traveling all the time, always studying and improving…? This must demands hell of an energy and qualities! And strangely, nevertheless the successes and her character is at least as proud as an lion, she still keeps her modesty. Just great!

 

I am sure that she is a shining example for many girls in the veterinary profession that strong will, good work and determination can bring them wherever they want, nevertheless any obstacles on your way. So Lea is a great inspiration for the young vets.

 

But before all Lea is just a true friend, that will not leave you behind because of simple interests or whatever. In the unfair world this is priceless, and deserves all the respect and admiration. These are he kind of people I would like to have around me. We love you Lea :)”

 

45342245_10156991837538738_4110675489188741120_oDr Nikola Bunevski

Lea’s emloyee

 

“I must to describe dr.Lea(my boss) in some words?

I met Lea 10 years ago as a student on postgraduate studies of surgery. And in that time  i say to myself”i think that i can learn alot from this women”

She is one of those unselfish bosses and colleagues who is sharing knowledge and stands by your site in time of  need.

She is asking and listening,teaching and giving path of your success especially in time when you grow as a veterinarian…she is not just a boss but a friend on which you can count on!!!

I think that Lea is a hardcore teacher and a leader that shows you how to never give up-on patient,on situation,on position,on life in general.

Even almost after 10 years i’m learning each day something new…

Cheers to friendship!Cheers to success!Cheers to you Lea ”

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Regulatory Convergence Key to Improve Access to Veterinary Medicines say Global Veterinary Associations

logo-white-backgroundArtboard-1Eleven global veterinary associations have signed a Position Statement calling for increased regulatory convergence and harmonization in order to ensure that veterinarians globally can access the medicines they need to treat their patients.  The Statement, initiated by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), is the latest step in its campaign to secure more equal access to vital veterinary medicines for companion animal veterinarians around the world.

Restricted access to veterinary medicines because of regulatory issues in regions of the world including Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia, is a long-standing problem and limits the efforts of many veterinarians to provide optimal care to their patients.  Sometimes, even essential medicines, such as those required to properly manage pain, are difficult to access, causing immense and unnecessary suffering.

The WSAVA recently formed a Therapeutics Guidelines Group (TGG) to spearhead its work in this area and to campaign to ensure more open access to these medications.  Its new Position Statement is designed to raise awareness of the problems around regulation and to call on governments and regulatory bodies to act.  The Statement has been endorsed by:

It follows a 2018 Position Statement from the WSAVA outlining a range of factors which restrict global access to veterinary medicines and the significant impact on animal health and welfare this causes.  This statement also received wide support from the veterinary sector, including those associations listed above.

In a survey of its members conducted by the WSAVA during 2016-2017, 75% of respondents confirmed that that problems in accessing veterinary medical products hampered their ability to meet the needs of their patients and 20% assessed the impact of this issue as resulting in a severe restriction on their ability to provide a high level of care.  During its 2019 World Congress in Toronto, Canada, in July, the WSAVA’s Therapeutics Guidelines Group convened a summit meeting of global veterinary associations and stakeholders to discuss potential solutions.  The new Position Statement was one of the outputs from this meeting.

Dr Walt Ingwersen

Dr Walt Ingwersen

Commenting, Dr Walt Ingwersen, WSAVA Past President, said: “Difficulty in accessing therapeutics to treat patients is a critical issue for companion animal veterinarians in many parts of the world.  It causes huge frustration and means that many, if not most, companion animals globally do not receive optimum care.  It’s a situation which requires urgent change and, working in partnership with our colleagues across the veterinary sector, we are focused on bringing this about.

“While a number of issues impact the supply of veterinary medicines, duplication of the regulatory medicines approval process in various regions of the world is one of the biggest and the focus of our Joint Position Statement on Regulatory Convergence. The WSAVA Therapeutics Guidelines Group has been working hard on the issue of access to and availability of veterinary medicines and will shortly be announcing the first of a set of practical tools to support veterinarians and their associations to lobby their own governments and regulatory bodies.

“To support them, we, as a global veterinary community, will continue to demand change at a global level and our Position Statements are proving effective in increasing understanding and prompting action.”

He added: “We thank our colleagues in other veterinary associations for standing with us and we will continue to collaborate closely to ensure that all veterinarians have access to the drugs they need to treat their patients.”

The WSAVA represents more than 200,000 veterinarians worldwide through its 113 member associations and works to enhance standards of clinical care for companion animals.  Its core activities include the development of WSAVA Global Guidelines in key areas of veterinary practice and lobbying on important issues affecting companion animal care worldwide.

FECAVA announced Didier-Noël Carlotti Award Laureate: Assistant Professor Dr. Bogdan-Alexandru Vitalaru from Romania

23131883_1723169741051257_1944002556383533163_nThe Didier-Noël Carlotti Award (DCA) is named after a veterinary surgeon who initiated, planned and inspired FECAVA and who served as its first President for four years. The Didier-Noël Carlotti Award is presented annually for ‘outstanding service in the fields of inter-professional communication and/or continuing education for companion animal veterinarians in Europe’.Capture d’écran 2017-09-05 à 15.30.43

In 2019, the DCA award will be received by Assistant Professor Dr. Bogdan-Alexandru Vitalaru from Romania.

He was selected for the Award by the DCA Committee and will receive it at the opening ceremony of the 25th FECAVA EuroCongress in St. Petersburg.

Assistant Professor Bogdan Alexandru Vitalaru graduated the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest in 2004, PhD since October 2009, and he has participated since then in numerous national and international conferences, both as a doctor and as a lecturer. Since January 2016 he became Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest.

Over the years he has written more than 100 scientific papers on topics related to oncologic surgery, dialysis, hemodialysis and emergencies. His 4 books about emergencies were sold in more than 2000 copies in Romania in the last 4 years. His last book it is completely dedicated to peritoneal dialysis in small animals and it has been released also in English in Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Croatia, Ukraine and Poland starting February 2018.28471893_1212686848867718_2541073989731187894_n 49848433_2438242006214507_5459535691056676864_n

Since January 2014, in collaboration with BBraun Romania, within the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, he opened the first Veterinary Hemodialysis Clinic in Romania and one of the few in Eastern Europe.

Starting 2013, he established the Romanian Association of Veterinary Nephrology, Hemodialivet, who’s Chairman he is.

In the last 10 years, Dr. Vitalaru has been a lecturer for Hills Romania and KTL in Romania and Europe regarding urology, nephrology and renal replacement therapies. He is also leading the Emergency Department of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest since 2015.22154250_1512540295490310_2300870383746233502_n

Starting 2014, Dr. Vitalaru has initiated a program of workshops and seminars regarding renal patients all over Romania (București, Iași, Cluj, Timișoara, Brașov, Constanța), Bulgaria (Varna, Stara Zagora), Poland (Krakow, Warsaw), Croatia (Zagreb), Italy (Perugia, Pisa) and in Turkey (Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya). He was awarded with the Continuing medical education prize – AMVAC/RoSAVA, Sinaia 12-14 November 2015 and SPEAKER OF THE YEAR – Romanian College of Veterinarians, Bucharest, 17 December 2015. He is a member within the board of some of the most prestigious publications in Romania: Cat life, 2015, Romanian Journal of Veterinary Orthopedics and Imagistic, 2015, Romanian Journal of Veterinary Medicine & Pharmacology, 2016, Romanian Cardiology Review. In 2016, Dr. Vitalaru has received the Special Prize for the best veterinary initiative of the year in Romania – Innovation in Health.39515211_2117230608311833_1547971329477574656_n 55811478_2440517709316453_3635058829533642752_n

Since November 2017 he is a board member of AMVAC (Small Animal Romanian Practitioners Association), FECAVA Director for Romania and since October 2017, Dr. Vitalaru is FECAVA Ambassador and ROVECCS Ambassador (Romanian EVECCS partener).

His passions are mountain hiking, fishing and nature and as a result of this, he has initiated in 2017 a Vet Camp in the Romanian mountains with vets all around Romania.

The greatest achievements of his life are Silvia his wife and his two beautiful daughters: Natalia and Sofia.40082786_10216876652047378_4749508800241729536_n 57384291_2505251306176426_5657680386600206336_n

WSAVA and The Webinar Vet Collaboration Offers Free Access to Virtual Congress 2020

logo-white-backgroundArtboard-1The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and The Webinar Vet have joined forces to offer free access to Virtual Congress 2020 to WSAVA members from countries in which companion animal practice is still developing. Discounted registration will also be offered to all other WSAVA members.

 

The Webinar Vet’s Virtual Congress is the world’s largest online veterinary congress. The 2020 Congress will take place on February 1 and will include webinars from global experts on a comprehensive range of topics, including companion animal medicine and surgery, dermatology, emergency medicine and veterinary wellness.

WSAVA works to enhance the clinical care and welfare of companion animals globally, representing more than 200,000 veterinarians around the world through its 110 member associations. Its core activities include the creation of Global Guidelines that set standards for veterinary care in key areas of practice, including nutrition, pain management and welfare.

 

Anthony Chadwick

Dr Anthony Chadwick

Set up by British veterinarian Anthony Chadwick BVSC Cert VD MRCVS to make continuous education (CE) easier, more accessible and affordable, The Webinar Vet is the largest online veterinary community in Europe and is rapidly extending into the North and South America, Asia and Africa.

 

Commenting, Dr Chadwick said: “The Webinar Vet aims to help veterinary healthcare team members to become more confident in their practice and to fit their learning into a busy life in the profession without having to take time out of work or to travel.

 

“Thanks to all the tickets sold to developed countries over the last five years, our 1-4-1 initiative, under which we donate a ticket to one veterinarian in a developing country for every ticket we sell, has already provided free access to Virtual Congress to more than 5,000 veterinarians from developing countries as part of our mission of making CE accessible to all. We hope that by partnering with the WSAVA we can increase this ten-fold and we are delighted to offer all of its members from developing countries free access to the vast array of learning on offer at the event.”

WSAVA President Dr Shane Ryan said: “Increasing access to veterinary CE is the most effective way to advance the skills and knowledge of veterinarians around the world. Online CE can be an affordable and convenient option for our colleagues in those countries where traditional CE access is limited. We anticipate that many of our members will take up the offer of free or discounted access to Virtual Congress 2020 and so take advantage of the great learning on offer.”

 

Record-breaking VET Festival Champions Wellness

Noel Fitzpatrick-minNotching up record delegate and exhibitor numbers for 2019, this year’s VET Festival, received an overwhelmingly positive response from delegates for the calibre of speakers and entertainment.  The event took place at Loseley Park, Guildford on 7-8 June.

With wellness a strong focus for VET Festival, the Wellness lecture tent was packed for Lara Heimann, an American who has achieved global recognition for her unique vinyasa yoga style and regularly leads international retreats and workshops.  Many delegates took their wellness into their own hands by visiting the Wellness Hub for a massage and yoga session while the Family Hub was busy throughout the two days.

Continuing the wellness theme but also embracing eco concerns, event sponsor MWI Animal Health offered delegates the opportunity to use their own energy by cycling on an exercise bike to create a fruit smoothie.  On the Friday night, delegates, many in 80s costumes, partied into the night with live music from MadHen.Vet Festival 1-min

Clinical speakers received with particular enthusiasm included Dr Ronaldo da Costa, Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at Ohio State University, USA, and Laurie Edge Hughes, a veterinary physiotherapist from Canada.

Professor Noel Fitzpatrick said: “It is a real joy to see the VET Festival growing and growing, not just in physical size, but from the immense goodwill that radiates from it. The weather didn’t get in the way of the wellness and there was nothing rainy about the atmosphere at VET Festival – in fact I think that the rain brought us closer together.

“I set out to build a community of compassion for our profession and I genuinely felt that there was a tangible sense of togetherness. There were loads of great conversations with each other and with the exhibitors. The educational content really was world class and the tents were packed. I hoped that VET Festival would be a breath of fresh air, where having an education event outdoors – combined with a focus on wellness of body and mind for all of us – could help vet professionals to be the very best that they could be – and so serve our patients better.VET Festival 2 - CPD-min VET Festival 3 - delegates-min

“Everyone there was part of something innovative and refreshing I felt – the delegates, the exhibitors, the team who have worked year-round to create the event, and the fantastic speakers. I’m very grateful to all of them and I sincerely hope that this feeling remains strong for each and every one all year round. The resonant theme this year was ‘kindness’ – to ourselves, to each other, to the families of animals and the animals we are lucky enough to take care of. Nobody is a nobody at VET Festival, and never will be. In that field, we’re all equal, no matter what we do in the vet profession – we all matter – we all want the same thing, which is wellness for each other and the animals we serve – and importantly, we’re all in it together for the greater good, rain or shine.”

Nicole Cooper, Managing Director, Events Division, Fitz All Media, said: “We are all delighted by the support of the industry and welcomed over 1,900 delegates, a 12% increase and 60 exhibitors – a 28% increase on 2018. VET Festival continues to grow because its unique format, half top-flight congress, half festival, offers a laid back and fun environment in which delegates can learn, catch up with friends and have fun.  We’re delighted with the response to this year’s event and are already planning to make next year’s event even better.”

 

Global Experts to Discuss WSAVA Research into Veterinary Wellness during World Congress 2019

logo-white-backgroundArtboard-1Experts from around the world will discuss the implications of research undertaken by the WSAVA’s Professional Wellness Group (PWG) into veterinary wellness in a panel session during WSAVA World Congress. The discussion, called ‘Shaping the Future:  Wellness in the Veterinary Profession’, will take place on 17 July, following a presentation of the preliminary results of a study of more than 4,000 veterinary professionals globally. They will be presented by PWG Committee Co-Chair Dr Nienke Endenburg, a human psychologist, who works at the veterinary school at the University of Utrecht, Netherlands.

140819_Nienke Endenburg_10_uitsnede (002)

Dr Nienke Endenburg

Recognizing increased concern as to the impact on veterinary professionals of their demanding working environment, the PWG set out to assess professional wellness and the key factors which affect it globally when it launched its online survey in September 2018.  Dr Endenburg will present the findings before inviting panelists to respond and discuss their perspectives on the issue.  The panel members are:

  • Dr Marie Holowaychuk, a Canadian board-certified small animal emergency and critical care specialist and advocate for veterinary team wellbeing
  • Dr Jen Brandt, the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Director of Member Wellness and Diversity Initiatives
  • Dr Derick Chibeu, Co-chair of the PWG and Honorary Secretary of the Kenya Small and Companion Animal Veterinary Association
  • Dr Vicki Lim, who works in New Zealand and is the founder the Riptide Project, an international veterinary wellbeing initiative
  • Mr Elwin van Oldenborgh, President-Elect of the International Veterinary Students’ Association.

Commenting, Dr Endenburg said: “Veterinarians care for our animal companions but the question is, who is caring for them?  As a global community we wanted to gain a clear understanding of the challenges to their well-being faced by our members around the world and to find out both what they have in common and where their experience differs.

“The results of our research provide a unique global view of this important issue and we look forward to discussing these with our expert colleagues and exploring practical solutions that respect the regional, economic and cultural differences of our membership. It will be an important first step towards bringing about positive change and enhancing the wellbeing of veterinarians globally.”

The WSAVA works to enhance the clinical care and welfare of companion animals globally, representing more than 200,000 veterinarians around the world through its 110 member associations. Its core activities include the creation of Global Guidelines which set standards for veterinary care in key areas of practice, including nutrition, pain management and welfare.

 

WSAVA World Congress takes place in Toronto from 16-19 July.  The Professional Wellness presentation and expert panel discussion takes place at 11.40 am on 17 July.