The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) has announced the launch of new Global Guidelines on Professional Wellness, Reproduction, Direct Zoonoses, and an updated set of Vaccination Guidelines at the WSAVA World Congress 2023. The guidelines, which are peer-reviewed, are created by experts on the clinical committees to set best practice and minimum standards in veterinary practice. They are designed to be relevant to veterinarians across the world and are a free resource for WSAVA members. The Global Guidelines on Professional Wellness have been created by the WSAVA’s Professional Wellness Group. They aim to provide evidence-based resources to support veterinary wellness that are tailored to the differing regional, economic, and cultural needs of WSAVA members worldwide.
The Reproduction Control Guidelines, created by the WSAVA’s Reproduction Control Committee, aim to help members make science-based choices for the management of reproduction in their patients while supporting animal welfare and the human-companion animal bond. The new Direct Zoonoses Guidelines from the WSAVA’s One Health Committee present global recommendations on how to avoid human illness from direct contact with small companion animals and their infectious agents. The updated Vaccination Guidelines provide a comprehensive update on the existing guidelines and include a range of new sections and content areas. All of the new Global Guidelines will be peer-reviewed by the Journal of Small Animal Practice, the WSAVA’s official scientific journal.
Commenting on the launch of the new guidelines, WSAVA President Dr Ellen van Nierop said: “Standards of companion animal veterinary care vary around the world. WSAVA Global Guidelines help to address this inconsistency, offering tiered protocols, tools, and other guidance to support veterinary team members wherever they are in practice. We’re delighted to add these new and updated Global Guidelines to our portfolio – and I thank the many committee members who have dedicated so much of their own time to producing these invaluable resources for WSAVA members worldwide.”
The WSAVA World Congress 2023, taking place in Lisbon, Portugal, from 27-29 September, will provide a forum for companion animal veterinary professionals to discuss the latest thinking in key areas of companion animal practice. The Congress program, which brings together expert speakers from around the world, will also include a stream covering key topics, such as leadership and business management. In addition to lectures and workshops, the Congress will feature a social program showcasing Lisbon’s renowned culture and cuisine.
The creation of the new WSAVA Global Guidelines has been supported by the association’s industry partners, including Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Virbac, MSD Animal Health, the Purina Institute, and Zoetis. The guidelines are part of WSAVA’s efforts to address the lack of consistency in companion animal veterinary care worldwide and offer tiered protocols and tools to support veterinary team members wherever they are in practice. WSAVA members can access the guidelines for free on the WSAVA website. These guidelines, alongside the existing Global Guidelines for Pain Management, nutrition, and dentistry, are the most frequently downloaded educational resources for WSAVA members.
