3 Feb 2026
Wolfgang Dohne DrMedVet, MRCVS reviews the extensive scientific programme of events, alongside stunning scenery and rich cuisine
Wolfgang Dohne
Job Title
More than 5,000 delegates at a veterinary conference might seem spectacular to European members of the profession, but not so in Brazil, a country with more than 500 listed veterinary education establishments and close to 200,000 licensed veterinary surgeons.
But at this year’s well-attended 50th WSAVA Congress in Rio de Janeiro, held at the vast Riocentro exhibition complex, which is located not far from the Olympic village of the 2016 games, so many things appeared super-sized.
The vast windowless corridors allowed an unobstructed view of the well-maintained park landscape including a laguna lined with coconut trees and frequented by numerous waterfowl, which, on occasion, ventured into the large food court area to compete with the resident population of parakeets and colourful bee-eaters over the leftovers of the rich Brazilian cuisine.
Delegates from more than 90 countries had followed the call to enjoy an extensive scientific programme that, across three days, included no less than 359 individual sessions in up to 12 parallel streams, with many presentations complemented by simultaneous translations in English, Portuguese and Spanish.
BSAVA was represented by past and new president, Julian Hoad; by his predecessor, Mark Johnston; and by BSAVA’s honorary secretary, Krista Arnold. Other UK delegates that had made the long journey included social media influencer Cat the Vet; canine osteoarthritis advocate Hannah Capon, who was this year’s recipient of the WSAVA Companion Animal Welfare Award; and the author, a past-president of the Federation of European Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA). This year’s WSAVA International Award for Scientific Achievement went to the RVC’s former head of neurology, Holger Volk, who unfortunately was not able to attend the event.
Highlights of this year’s rich scientific programme were the updates on WSAVA’s guidelines on pain management and vaccinations of companion animals. Mental health, wellness and practice management were covered in another dedicated stream.
A huge trade exhibition featured a large array of pet food, pharmaceutical and veterinary equipment providers from both Latin America and around the world.
The last congress day started in style with an afro-Brazilian samba session organised by the Pro Salus Foundation in support of their charity projects.
Rio 2025 proved once again no other companion animal veterinary conference provides the same international networking opportunities as the annual WSAVA Congress.
In 2026, the event will return to Europe and is scheduled from 13-15 October in Warsaw as a joint event with the 31st FECAVA EuroCongress and the annual congress of the Polish Small Animal Veterinary Association.
Details for early registration for WSAVA 2026 can be found on the WSAVA website.
