Inaugural Vet23 conference opens in Cork

The inaugural Vet23 Joint Conference is taking place this weekend in the Rochestown Park Hotel, Douglas, Co. Cork.

Veterinary Ireland's Food Animal, Companion Animal and Equine Groups have joined forces to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and practical information by multiple veterinary disciplines at a single event. Expert speakers from practice, as well as from industry, research and academia, will present over the course of Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th on key challenges in animal health and welfare.

Paul McDermott, President, Veterinary Ireland commented: “This is a period of significant change in veterinary medicine and the entire Irish veterinary community has come together at Vet23 to provide Irish vets with the information and knowledge on how best to deal, at a practice level, with the issues that will arise due to these changes. Providing a forum for the exchange of information and ideas, our aim is to bring colleagues together from across the profession to talk through common issues and establish strong professional ties that will drive the development of the profession and advance veterinary medicine.”

Experts will share the latest research and insights across a comprehensive range of the key issues facing the profession. Just some of the topics covered will include:

• sustainable ruminant health and selective treatment of clinical mastitis;
• anaesthesia and sedation of respiratory compromised companion animal patients and decision making in small animal chest emergencies; and,
• radiology in equine clinical practice and the role of sepsis in foal mortality.

There will also be a presentation focusing on the most common injuries incurred by vets in practice, along with advice and guidance on how veterinary professionals can maintain their own well-being and physical resilience.

Chairperson of the Veterinary Ireland Companion Animal Society (VICAS) Committee, Jane Pigott, highlights some of the key elements of the VICAS conference strand: “The focus of this year s CVE offering is diagnosis and management of respiratory disease and we hope that delegates will find these sessions and discussions both informative and entertaining.”

Donal Lynch of the Cattle Association of Veterinary Ireland (CAVI) committee stated: “For the CAVI part of the conference, we have leaders in their field in Ireland and from other countries within Europe. We aim to look at the issues that we are affected by on a daily basis such as mastitis and fertility through to the sustainability challenges that face our agricultural sector.sector.”

Allen Dunne of the Equine Committee said: “We have expert speakers on topics including neonatal care, radiology, lameness, reproduction, parasitology and Cushing’s disease. The equine strand of the programme will have plenty to appeal to both mixed and equine practitioners.”

Three parallel wet labs – on companion animal work, food animal skills, and equine work – acted as a curtain raiser for the conference on Friday. Veterinary Ireland President Paul McDermott noted: These wet labs are the result of a highly effective collaboration between CAVI, VICAS, and the Equine Interest Group. I am confident that the accessibility and interactivity of these small group teaching sessions will make a vital contribution to the development of surgical and practical skills for all the veterinary professionals in attendance.”

A major industry exhibition takes place in conjunction with the conference featuring leading-edge innovation from leaders in veterinary technologies, equipment and medicines.

Further details of the conference are available at www.vetcve.com