Veterinary nurses and technicians are on the frontlines of giving care to cats and dogs. The 2023 Vet Symposium was the occasion for Royal Canin and its partners VETgirl and MSD to express the importance of this vital yet sometimes thankless profession, and to support them through conferences and resources, as they give care to pets, vets, and pet owners.

The two-day hybrid conference took place both online and in person. Thousands of people registered to attend remotely from more than a hundred countries, while hundreds of veterinary care professionals and experts gathered in person in Montpellier, south of France.

The symposium was a collective opportunity to ask vet nurses what they need and to offer a holistic range of support on everything from time management to preventing pet obesity. A range of international experts, veterinarians, vet nurses and technicians, and Royal Canin’s voices shared their knowledge and the latest trends on time management in the clinic, growth, and pet nutrition. Today, visiting vetsymposium.royalcanin.com means getting another chance to join the conversation and take part in this community of passionate advocates.

Cécile Coutens, Global Royal Canin President, expressed her gratitude to the vet nurses that made this possible while making sure they felt welcome in this dedicated event. 

“It is hard to work in this profession, and that is what we want to talk about. It is a profession that comes with a high level of stress, burnout, fatigue, and, sometimes, a real lack of acknowledgment and recognition for your work and for the competency and skills that you bring into the practice. We really want, for once, to take care of the caregiver: to take care of your pain points, of your needs, of what you want and in return bring that support.”

From now until July 2023, the entire program is available for free on vetsymposium.royalcanin.com. 

The dedicated website includes:

• The Replay: ten-panel discussions with leading international experts in nutrition and veterinary management on uniting to nurture a healthy ecosystem, with a focus on vet nurses’ and technicians’ specific needs and obstacles, with topics ranging from time management, mentorship, and growth to tackling weight and nutrition.
• Media Gallery - Because the Vet Symposium has even more content to offer, the Media Gallery gives visitors access to:
• Masterclasses: seven lectures on growth and management for vet nurses and technicians, by leaders in the profession such as Addie Reinhard, founder and director of MentorVet and Weight Management Clinic nurse Georgia Woods.
• Masterclasses address “Talking Numbers in Clinic”, “Supporting Pet-Owners During Stressful First Clinic Visits”, “Creating Mentorship Structures for Your Team”, “Practical Applications of Growth Charts”, “#ConnectForPets”, and “Let’s Talk About Leadership”.

In-Clinic Content: eleven riveting masterclasses aimed at vet and vet nurses and technicians, with topics such as developing key communication skills to create a true partnership with clients, weight management and managing obesity, nutrition myth busters, by leading companies such as VETgirl, and experts such as Pr. Alex German.

True to its principles of Mutuality and Responsibility, Royal Canin a global reference in health through nutrition for cats and dogs, has at heart to share access to all insightful information provided by top experts at the 2023 Vet Symposium to all stakeholders, especially vet nurses and technicians, whose wellbeing and subsequent work quality is key to achieve together our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.