Veterinary Events and Conferences

Advances in the Management of Atopic Dermatitis to be Discussed at Hill’s Global Symposium

vetreportApril 25, 2016

Join the Virtual Event from Your Home

Global speakers will discuss advances in the management of atopic dermatitis at the Hill’s Pet Nutrition Global Symposium and Virtual Event April 26 – 27. Veterinary healthcare team members from around the globe can stream the event live or view archived recordings between April 26 and June 27.

“More than 50% of allergy cases in dogs are caused by the environment,” said Dr. Ellen I. Lowery, Hill’s Director, U.S. Professional and Veterinary Affairs.  “The practical nature of the symposium lectures, coupled with the advanced science of Prescription Diet Derm Defense Canine, will help veterinarians manage this frequent and challenging condition.”

In a prelude to the Global Symposium, more than 140 delegates attended the 5^th annual Nutrition Symposium, hosted by Hill’s Pet Nutrition and the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in Canada on April 10, 2016. The full day symposium followed the launch in Canada of Hill’s new Prescription Diet® Derm Defense™ Canine in March.

Dr. Douglas DeBoer, who presented at the symposium, said he is hopeful that exciting advancements in the management of atopic dermatitis might decrease the need for steroidal treatments for this condition in the near future.

Dr. DeBoer is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Dermatology and a Professor of Dermatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He conducts research on the immunology of recurrent and chronic skin diseases, with a focus on canine allergic skin disease.

Veterinarians and veterinary technicians who attended the free event received six hours of Continuing Education (CE). The symposium covered multiple aspects of managing atopic dermatitis, including: diagnosis; approach to management; the role of nutrition in management; and selecting an appropriate topical therapy.

Nutrition and the annual symposium are important elements of the long-standing partnership between Hill’s and the University of Guelph. That partnership also resulted in the creation of the Hill’s Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in 2010.  PHC is an on-site, fully functional veterinary hospital and an educational facility at OVC. Over the course of the four-year DVM program, all student veterinarians spend 200 hours of experiential learning in the facility, where they apply their knowledge of companion animal nutrition and develop important client communications skills in a real-world setting.

“Hill’s is committed to advancing nutrition education and highlighting the importance of preventive healthcare, and the OVC PHC is a centre of excellence on this important topic,” said Dr. Jolle Kirpensteijn, Hill’s Chief Professional Relations Officer.

“Our relationship with the OVC also has a global dimension. In 2016 and 2017, we will offer scholarships to two of the most highly-performing veterinary students from around the world to train at the OVC PHC and take advantage of this best-in-class curriculum in preventive healthcare.”

For more information about the OVC PHC scholarships, contact Dr. Kirpensteijn.