Olympic runner leads virtual run at BSAVA Congress

Olympic Athlete Laura Muir is helping host a virtual run at BSAVA Virtual Congress (25-27 March 2021) this year, to highlight the physical and mental health benefits of being active. She has made three inspirational videos to encourage delegates to step out for wellbeing.

As well as being a qualified vet, having studied at the University of Glasgow, Laura Muir is the British record holder over the 1500m, a five-time European Champion and is aiming to claim her first Olympic medal at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. She will be encouraging Congress delegates to put their best running feet forward during the three days of Congress.

Laura has made three illuminating videos to show how she has successfully balanced running with her veterinary studies, revealing the low points as well as the high points and how the key is to focus on the positives. In the videos Laura is interviewed by vet and runner Brian Faulkner who achieved the extraordinary feat of running 31 marathons in 31 days. Brian will also be speaking at Congress in the Lessons from Lockdown session on the Saturday.

“There are so many things in life you can’t control,” said Laura. “My own philosophy that keeps me going is ‘do the best that you can do’.  For students it’s about remembering all the hard work they’ve put in over the years. To get to where they are in vet school, is a huge achievement in itself.  For practitioners who perhaps have had a bad day, taking a moment to remember just how many animals they’ve helped might just keep that negative experience in context.”

Brian Faulkner agrees; drawing on his coaching experience, he refers to something he affectionately calls ‘bitch spay-ophobia’.  When students and colleagues become fearful that they may cause more harm than good he reminds them of the bigger picture and that the long-term benefits of performing such procedures are the very reason why many wanted to become vets in the first place.

Participants can support each other by posting details of their run or walk on the Congress platform in the Health and Wellbeing chat room. There are no set times or distance, and delegates are encouraged to take part at a pace, time and location that suits them. Prizes will be awarded for the best selfie taken and posted on Twitter or Instagram tagged #BSAVAVirtualRun .

For extra motivation runners will be able to join the BSAVA running community via the Health and Wellbeing chat room where they can pose questions for Laura and other runners and can share their own experiences and achievements.  Attendees can listen to the three motivating videos from Laura at the Health and Wellbeing stand in the exhibition, in which she speaks about Laura the athlete, Laura the vet and Laura the person.

“Whether you are a seasoned runner or have never broken out of a walk we are encouraging everyone to participate,” said BSAVA President Professor Ian Ramsey. “Becoming more active is beneficial to health and wellbeing in so many ways and we are hoping to inspire delegates to lace up their trainers, clock up some miles and feel the difference.”

It’s free to join the BSAVA Virtual Run and you can sign up  here.

BSAVA Run is part of a motivating range of wellbeing sessions at Congress this year: Keynote speakers Dr Ranj and Jenny Campbell drawing on their own experiences to emphasise the importance of wellbeing. In addition, delegates can exercise their bodies as well as their minds with yoga and some restorative meditation practices.

To register now visit https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2021/en/page/home

For information on how to become a BSAVA member visit https://www.bsava.com/Membership/Member-categories

BSAVA Congress 2021, one of the world’s largest small animal veterinary events goes live

15 January 2021 – The full programme for the 2021 Virtual Congress of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) is now live.
This year’s edition of one of the world’s largest event for the small animal veterinary sector will be held from Thursday 25 to Saturday 27 March. It is set to deliver everything people expect of BSAVA Congress – and more:
Excellent International speakers, more than 130 hours of CPD and an extensive range of practice resources to take away.

A new, more interactive formula

With more than 100 speakers and a new format that blends clinical, practical and interactive content across a massive number of topics, Congress is highly relevant for every member of the practice. Shorter sessions and the introduction of new two-speaker sessions on day-to-day topics will focus on the information vets need to know in primary care practice with regular opportunities for delegate engagement and questions.

“Following months of meticulous planning we are thrilled that the programme is now live,” said Professor Ian Ramsey, President of the BSAVA. “The sheer range and high quality of our speakers and content, together with our new, more dynamic format takes webinar learning to a new level.”

Who’s who of the veterinary world

The list of speakers is akin to an international ‘who’s who’ of the veterinary world. As a small taster of what’s in store, Holger Volk (Germany) will present on aspects of neurology on a shoestring, including a case-based panel discussion. Bianca Hettlich (Switzerland/Germany) will present a case-based interactive session to help general practitioners decide if a lameness case is of orthopaedic or neurological origin and will be busting some myths. The USA’s Ernie Ward will be speaking about recruitment and retention.

The speakers – including Mike Willard (USA), Jens Ruhnau (Denmark), Daniel Pang (Canada) and Milinda Lommer (USA) – will give short ‘live’ presentations, often in joint sessions, allowing ample time for discussion allowing a dynamic interaction.

The list of UK speakers includes Rebecca Geddes (kidney medicine and nursing), Nicki Reed (feline nursing), Sarah Heath (behavioural alopecia), Adrian Boswood (asymptomatic cardiac patients), Jane Ladlow (BOAS surgery), Penny Watson (liver biopsies, feline triaditis), Dick White (the surgical team); Tim Nuttall (atopic dermatitis), John Chitty on several rabbits, small furries and exotics topics, and many more.

130 hours of CPD available on the platform for two months

Four simultaneous live streams will deliver 80+ live sessions covering 24 module topics, together with a library of 100 on-demand webinars and other resources for the practice to bring delegates more than 130 hours of CPD. Many modules have relevant presentations woven in to make them suitable for the whole practice team from clinical directors to practice nurses and managers. There will also be a dedicated exhibitor stream every day. BSAVA Congress headline sponsors include Idexx and Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

The live and on-demand content will be available to delegates on the platform for 60 days, and then via the BSAVA Library.

“Delegates will be able to develop their skills and knowledge on topics they see regularly in practice,” said Professor Ramsey. “To make things even easier we will be providing practical resources such as client handouts for delegates to take back to their clinics. This, coupled with many speakers sharing their own notes and practical resources means less note-taking and a quicker and easier way for delegates to share what they have learnt with their colleagues.”

Great value with rates starting at just £99 +VAT

On the social side the focus is on bringing people together on-line to share light-hearted entertainment and laughter. Delegates can throw some shapes with a virtual disco, exercise their bodies as well as their minds with yoga and unwind with some restorative meditation practices.

“This year’s BSAVA Congress is going to be the most innovative ever and deliver like never before,” said Professor Ramsey. There is plenty of relevant and engaging CPD for every practice professional, with all the convenience of a virtual event. If you haven’t already taken a look at the programme and registered, I urge you to do so now. With prices starting at just £99 (approx. €110) +VAT for BSAVA and FECAVA members*, it represents really great value.” The Congress will be held in English.

To register now visit https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2021/en/page/home

*As FECAVA member, proof of membership of one of FECAVA’s member associations may be required. To check, please visit https://www.fecava.org/associations. Veterinarians who are members of WSAVA through their national organisation can claim a 10% discount on the BSAVA non-member rate.

For information on how to become a BSAVA member visit: https://www.bsava.com/Membership/Member-categories

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

The 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.

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

Veterinarians 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

The 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

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:

LUIGI VENCO, DVM , SCPA, Dipl EVPC, Pavia, Italy

Dr 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.”

Florin 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!”

Dr 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!

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.

She 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:

Dr 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.”

Dr 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 :)”

Dr 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 ”

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

Eleven 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:

• The World Veterinary Association
• HealthforAnimals
• The Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations
• The Commonwealth Veterinary Association
• The Federación Iberoamericana de Asociaciones Veterinarias de Animales de Compañía
• The Federation of Asian Small Animal Veterinary Associations
• The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe
• The Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations
• The Fédération des Associations Francophones Vétérinaires pour Animaux de Compagnie
• The Caribbean Veterinary Medical Association

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

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

The 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’.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

The 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.

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.”