I have listed below a collection of organisations who actively support & promote my chosen speciality of veterinary dermatology both nationally & internationally, not only within the profession itself but to the wordl at large. In answer to Agathou et al.s’ February 2022 Veterinary Record paper, entitled: ‘Click Here To Access‘, I compiled the word cloud below. Words were taken from more than 20 years of testimonials written by clients/pet parents, referring/academic veterinarians, pharmaceutical & nutrition industry-based veterinarians, mentored veterinary students & veterinary nurses plus clinic support staff:
2022 TheSkinVet Referral Word Cloud
The British Veterinary Dermatology Study Group www.bvdsg.org.uk
The aims of the British Veterinary Dermatology Study Group are to study and advance the standards of veterinary dermatology in all small animals. The objectives of the group are:
- To further scientific progress in veterinary and comparative dermatology
- To encourage and promote improved methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of skin disease in animals
- To provide for the exchange of information on comparative dermatology through affiliation with human dermatology organisations
- To provide for the exchange of information on aspects of veterinary dermatology through affiliation with the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) and other veterinary organisations; an
- To further dermatological education by means of meetings, seminars and courses, and providing the opportunity for graduate veterinary surgeons to carry on further studies in dermatology.
The study group has a long history of providing high quality veterinary CPD for those vets with an interest in veterinary dermatology. There are approximately 300 members drawn from private veterinary practice, university veterinary schools and industry.
BVDSG 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner Collage
The BVDSG holds two annual meetings – a day meeting prior to the main British Small Animal Veterinary Association meeting in Birmingham in April, and a weekend meeting usually in November. Both meetings attract eminent speakers from home and abroad, covering all aspects of veterinary and human dermatology. Members also have an opportunity to present their own work and findings at each meeting.
In 2016, BVDSG celebrated it’s 40th Anniversary! For further historical information about this speciality group please take time to read Professor Keith Thoday’s History of the BVDSG ( BVDSG History, Thoday ). The Autumn meeting was a weekend celebration with a specially selected speakers, covering broad aspects of dermatology, with a past and present theme.
At the 2018 Spring meeting, I presented an Abstract on novel and simple treatment of Demodex gatoi mange in sibling Bengal Cats (see Homeopathy page for images of the case) which has helped to raise awareness of this emerging feline ectoparasite infestation in the UK.
The next Autumn Meeting: ‘Alopecia’ took place on Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th November 2024 at Radisson Blu Hotel, Stansted Airport. It was an excellent opportunity as always for both specialists, general practitioners & sponsors to network, & socialise, whilst enjoying a program of continuing professional development delivered by world renowned speakers. The fabulous scientific programme covering a range of interesting topics, was delivered by world-renowned speakers including Dr Anke Hendricks, Dr Sara Legnani, Dr Stefan Rietmann, Dr Molly VargaSmith, Dr Alisdair Boag & Dr Monika Welle.
After each meeting Proceedings will be added to the many past publications available on the Members section of the BVDSG website. To register for future events, such as this Autumn Meeting, please go to www.bvdsgmeetings.com
Prof.Rod Rosychuk, international guest speaker, 2018 BVDSG Spring Meeting
European Society of Veterinary Dermatology www.esvd.org
The ESVD (European Society of Veterinary Dermatology) is an active international group of veterinarians and scientists interested in veterinary dermatology in the biology and diseases of animal skin. The objectives of the ESVD are: advancement of high clinical standards, research support, promotion of discussion and information sharing. The ESVD provides also a variety of outstanding educational and professional development resources”. ESVD Membership Detailer
The well-attended ESVD Workshop “Advances in Dermatological Therapy” took place in Davos, Switzerland, on 20th – 23rd March 2018.
This workshop focused on updates on the therapy of Canine atopic dermatitis and itch (Dr. T. Olivry), antimicrobial treatment (Dr. M. Linek, Dr. K. Reitt), otitis (Dr. S. Paterson) and food allergy (Dr. C. Favrot). Davos was a perfect place to combine a high level scientific program and winter and other social activities (snowboarding, cross-country skiing, fondue …)! Click Here To Access
The 35th Annual Congress of the European Society and College of Veterinary Dermatology will be held, in collaboration with the International Society of Veterinary Dermatology, from 11th – 13th Spetember 2025 in Bilbao, in the Basque Country, in the North of Spain (the World Congress is in 2024). Conference topics are not yet lised listed but further information will be available through: www.esvd-ecvdcongress.com . Hope to see you there!
35th ESVD – Bilbao!
World Association of Veterinary Dermatology www.wavd.org
Every four years the World Congress in Veterinary Dermatology is organised by one of the member organizations under the auspices of the WAVD.
The World Congress in Veterinary Dermatology was initiated by the member organizations representing the American, Canadian and European specialists in veterinary dermatology. More recently, speciality veterinary dermatology organizations from Asia and Australasia have joined the WAVD and are now an integral part of the Congress organisation making this a truly international event.
The first World Congress was held in Dijon, France from the 27th-30th September, 1989. This attracted close to 600 delegates from 32 countries and was followed by Montreal (13th-16th May 1992), Edinburgh (11th-14th September 1996) and San Francisco (30th August – 3rd September 2000). Until then, congresses had alternated between Europe and North America. In response to a survey conducted at the San Francisco congress, it was decided to include other continents in the rotation. Thus after the highly successful fifth congress held in Vienna (25th-28th August 2004), and after much thought, and many visits, Hong Kong was chosen as the site for the Sixth World Congress. A record total of 1185 delegates attended from 52 countries. The Seventh World Congress was held in Vancouver from 24th-28th July 2012. With such a site and venue choice it was not astonishing that number of delegates attending broke all previous records. For 2020 the WCVD returned to Europe and was held in Bordeaux.
The format and content of the congresses has developed over the years. The aim is to provide something appropriate for everyone – from the molecular scientist working in the field – to the newly qualified practitioner developing an interest in dermatology. Thus there are multiple concurrent themes including state-of-the-art lectures and supporting in depth reviews, supporting original studies allied to the same themes, free communications and two extensive programmes of continuing education suitable for general practitioners (comprehensive level) as well as for those with a special interest in dermatology (advanced level). Then there are workshops on a wide range of topics enabling informal discussions, special themes such as feline and equine dermatology, and wet labs usually including otology, cytology and dermatopathology – the latter with one session for practitioners, and one for those more expert in the field. Finally, a series of half-day company symposia is offered by our sponsors, covering a wide range of relevant material.
In the end, the goal is a simple one – each congress has to be better and more successful than its predecessor.
WCVD10 Boston Final Announcement
The 10th World Congress of Veterinary Dermatology ( https://www.vetdermboston.com ) virtual scientific program and commercial exhibition, was held in Boston, Massachusetts, USA 25-29th July 2024. Recordings of the presentations will be available until 31st December 2024. The WCVD10 module contains 30 hours of high-quality, RACE-approved dermatology recordings, broken down as follows: 10 hours in the basic CE stream; 7 hours in the advanced CE stream; 7 hours in the feline CE stream; 6 hours in the global track. Multiple-choice CE quizzes (5 questions) will be linked to each recording – you will need to attain 80% or higher in order to claim CE credits / certificates. Automated emails will be sent to the WCVD10 committee with your results, so a certificate will be generated and sent to you in due course.
The International Dermatology ListServ
This Listserv was set up and is owned by Dr Thierry Olivry DrVet PhD DipECVD DipACVD, North Carolina, USA. It is tirelessly managed by Dr Guillerima Manigot Dipl Med Vet, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Dr Guillermina Manigot, the International Dermatology ListServ Manager, WCVD8, Bordeaux
This forum is open to graduated veterinarians, all over the world, who have an interest in animal and comparative skin diseases. It welcomes requests for help with cases and therapies, discussions of recent literature, postings of information or information sources, useful for practice or research, and general communications about all aspects of Veterinary Dermatology. It is set up to distribute postings that can include clinical photographs or photomicrographs (100 – 150 kb).
The list is used to further the science of veterinary dermatology. The list is also used as a forum to recruit cases for clinical studies and as a forum for organizing multi-center studies. It publishes a regular reading list for dermatology residents who are studying for Board-certification.
If you are interested in contributing to this special forum contact Guille, ListServe Administration (vetderm-owner@lists.ncsu.edu), see her lovely comment below.
Veterinary Nursing Dermatology www.vetnursedermgroup.co.uk
The VNDG aims to support and encourage all Veterinary Nurses interested in the field of Dermatology, to better their understanding and skills in the field for the improvement of patient outcomes.
The group aims to:
- Promote the development and recognition of the Veterinary Nurse’s role in dermatology, for the benefit of the patient
- Promote and support education of Veterinary Nurses for their role in dermatology
- Provide a source of expertise for nurses facing clinical and managerial challenges in the field of dermatology nursing
- Provide a forum for the dissemination of developments and knowledge in the field of dermatology nursing
Membership of the group is completely free and gives you access to a members only Facebook group to chat and share case studies
VNDG meetings cover a variety of topics and you will get support from experienced Veterinary Dermatology Nurses and European Specialist Veterinary Dermatologists.
The International Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis www.ICADA.org
After the completion of its original work (see http://www.theskinvet.net/veterinary-surgeons/canine-atopic-dermatitis/) the ACVD Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis (CAD), continued to work on other important areas in CAD. Thus, the Task Force continued, with an expanded international membership, as the International Task Force on Canine Atopic Dermatitis (ITFCAD), an affiliate organization of the World Association for Veterinary Dermatology (WAVD).