How do veterinarians build a relationship with their patients and their owners in an age when technological innovations are drastically changing how pet care is provided? While the pandemic has been an unexpected catalyst for the digitization of the healthcare sector, shouldn’t veterinary professionals view this as an opportunity to provide even more comprehensive support? The 2021 Royal Canin Vet Symposium was an opportunity to respond to these pressing questions.
On 28 to 29 September, renowned international experts shared their knowledge and the latest trends in dermatology, health technology, telemedicine and practitioner well-being. The virtual Royal Canin Vet Symposium was a new interactive and immersive experience that offered free live broadcasts in seven languages, plus on-demand content and training. The two-day event gathered thousands of veterinary professionals from all over the world.
Today, visiting vet symposium website is another opportunity to join this community and learn about the ever-increasing high-tech pet world, what “Dr. Google” cannot do, veterinarians’ mental health, the clinic of tomorrow, best practices for telemedicine, implementing artificial intelligence, developing the interpersonal skills needed to be a leader in a clinic and designing strategies to deal with professional burnout in the face of COVID-19.
Royal Canin CEO Loïc Moutault introduced the Vet Symposium saying that “We see technology as an enabler at the service of the veterinary profession. We also believe technology can provide better support to pet owners, for [..] it is known that being a responsible pet owner is hard. So we need to get ahead of it. It will require a lot of investment in infrastructure, in knowledge, and in training. So this will take time to deploy this kind of tools globally and at scale.”
Moutault added: “None of us can this on our own. I think this is what excites me the most, it forces us to create partnerships that are uncommon, sometimes with competitors, regulators, tech companies…”
From now on, the entire program is available for free until the end of 2021 on the vet symposium website. The dedicated website includes:
- “The replay”: ten-panel discussions with leading international experts in pet health on the key trends of “The clinic and beyond,” covering topics that range from clinical cases and practice management to health innovation, well-being, and other areas that are essential to running a successful veterinary practice
- “Vet lab”: lectures on eight clinical cases from expert clinicians to support continuous learning. Each one is Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE)-approved and will include a follow-up quiz to validate continuing education credits. Clinical cases address “Feline allergies: reaction patterns to aid diagnosis”, “Feline allergies: they don’t all read the book”, “Claw fold diseases in cats: the allergy mimicker”, “Allergic cat: why oral exams are important in the allergic cat”, “Food allergies in dogs: elimination trial or serum IgE test”, “Canine atopic dermatitis: which anti-allergic intervention should I use”, and “Punkin: a tale of two allergies”.
- “Clinic lounge”: three masterclasses on practice management, leadership, communication and well-being, as well as four exclusive presentations about telemedicine and connected clinics.
Loïc Moutault said: “Nothing can replace the exam in a clinic and the role of a veterinarian as a health stakeholder, a KOL and a practitioner. More importantly, nothing can replace the empathy that veterinarians can provide to the animal and to the pet owner”.
True to its principles of mutuality and responsibility, Royal Canin, a global player in health through nutrition, wishes to share access to all the insightful information provided by top experts at the 2021 Vet Symposium in furtherance of its purpose: a better world for pets.
