Royal Canin hosted its 2022 Vet Symposium last month in France, bringing together a range of international experts to share knowledge and create synergies to respond to pressing concerns for veterinarians.

The veterinary profession is facing changes and challenges, which need all stakeholders to unite to build healthy vet practices and profession. Veterinarians work long hours, often struggle with mental health, and need to continuously learn to stay up to date and helpful.

The Royal Canin 2022 Vet Symposium was an opportunity to unite the international vet industry and share knowledge on the latest trends in fields such as practice management, pet nutrition, dermatology, and feline cardiology.

The line-up of speakers included from Royal Canin Cécile Coutens, Global President; Olivier Reymond, VP Veterinary Business & Corporate Affairs; Diana Knight, Scientific Support Specialist; Lara Fossati, Product Performance Specialist, R&D; and Brent Mayabb, Chief Medical Officer.

International expert voices included Yassine El Ouarzazi, Senior Director of Operations and Capabilities, Economics of Mutuality Solutions; Jo Dukes McEwan, Head of Service, Professor in Small Animal Cardiology, University of Liverpool; Cecilia Villaverde, Consultant, Expert Pet Nutrition; and Pascal Prelaud, Dermatologist, CEO ADVETIA Vet Hospital Center.

As well as Jennifer Schissler, Veterinary Dermatologist, Best Friends Animal Hospital & Urgent Care Unit; Ursula Mayer, CEVA; Nadine Hamilton, CEO, Founder and Psychologist, Love Your Pet Love Your Vet; Melanie Bowden, ER Veterinarian, Veterinary Emergency Group; Molly McAllister, Chief Medical Officer, Banfield Pet Hospital; Séverine Tasker, Chief Medical Officer, Linnaeus; Lucile Frayssinet, Veterinary Practice Management Consultant, Phylum; and Joseph Hahn, MSD.

Speaking at the Symopsium, Cécile Coutens, Global Royal Canin President, said: “This forum is an open forum. It is made for conversation, sharing, and learning. It is about uniting around the topics that matter to us.”

“We not only care about the health of our pets but also of the vet profession, which is the first line of care. My brother is a vet; however, I don’t think that in his childhood dreams he imagined what it meant to be a vet: the long days, the first loss of a patient, the serious conversation it involves with the pet parent, and the continuous learning needed to stay at the top of his profession. This is a very stressful environment, so it is a part of the conversation we want to have.

“The suicide rate in the vet profession is 3.5 times higher than the general population. What is important is how we support the wellbeing of vets.”

Coutens added: “At Royal Canin, we believe that we can make a better world for pets through nutrition, we want to partner with professionals and make it healthy. This cannot happen without a healthy planet, and therefore we committed as a brand to become carbon neutral by the end of 2025. We are aiming for a healthier world for vets, pets, and the planet.”

To make the Royal Canin 2022 Vet Symposium even more accessible, until March 2023 a digital version of the forum will be available to download and watch online.

The dedicated website includes:

  • The Replay: Eight-panel discussions with leading international experts in pet health and veterinary management on uniting to nurture a healthy ecosystem, covering topics that range from clinical cases and practice management to talks about mental health and wellbeing in the field.
  • Vet Lab: Lectures on eight clinical cases from many boarded specialists. Clinical cases address ‘Five Ways to Improve your Practice of Canine Atopic Dermatitis’, ‘The Elimination Diet: Details Matter’, ‘Managing the Intestinal Barrier in Chronic Enteritis’, ‘Feline Preclinical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy’, ‘Feline Clinical Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy’, ‘Feline Adverse Food Reaction’, ‘A Tailored Approach for the FIC Cat: Diagnostics, Drugs and Diet’, ‘Renal Health in Cats: Source and Dose of Dietary Phosphorus Matter’.
  • Clinic Lounge: Three masterclasses on wellness as preventative care for pets, owners, and clinics alike, with topics such as building a feline-friendly clinic, protocol implementation in clinics to maximise efficiency and wellbeing, by renowned institutions such as Banfield Pet Hospital USA and the UK veterinary group Linnaeus.
  • Innovation Hub: A space to wander and learn about the latest innovations, powered by Royal Canin, CEVA, MSD, and Veterinary Focus.

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