27 Oct 2023
Officials hope the event next month will help to bridge the gap between the latest research and practical application in practice.
A new online forum, which aims to explain how the latest microbiome science research can be applied to everyday veterinary practice, is to take place next month.
The two-day event, which will take place on 15 and 16 November, is being hosted by the Purina Institute’s Microbiome Forum and will feature contributions from several leading experts.
The institute says that, while studies relating to the canine and feline microbiome have jumped by more than 800% since 2012, practical implementation of that research is lagging behind.
The forum will examine topics including nutrition and faecal microbial transplantation (FMT) for chronic enteropathy, as well as contentious areas such as the use of gastric acid suppressants and the roles of the gut-brain and gut-kidney axes in disease.
Speakers are expected to include Kathrin Busch, head of small animal gastroenterology at the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich and International Renal Interest Society board member Jessica Quimby.
The event is due to be chaired by the Purina Institute’s global head, Natalia Wagemans, and Jan Suchodolski, who has published more than 340 peer-reviewed manuscripts in the area.
The forum will run from 3pm to 6.30pm on each of the two days and offer a total of 4.5 hours in CPD. The sessions will also be recorded and be made available for viewing afterwards.
Full details of the programme are available online, where places can also be secured.
The microbiome and dysbiosis will be the focus of Purina’s activity at London Vet Show, where it is not only taking part in UK Pet Food’s “Food for thought” stream with a lecture on probiotics on 16 November at 2pm, but conversations around tools and resources, plus competitions, will feature on its stand at L50 in the show.
Resources on the stand include the new Purina Handbook of Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition, which has contributions from 40 expert authors from around the world and is available free as a digital download.