Purina has announced it is hosting a two-hour CPD symposium on Friday 3rd April at BSAVA Congress looking at how diet can be used to reduce the allergens shed by cats.

Speakers at the event will include Andrew Sparkes, BVetMed, PhD, DipECVIM, MANZCVS, MRCVS (pictured right) and Ebenezer Satyaraj, PhD.

BSAVA Congress delegates can register for the free symposium, which also includes lunch, at www.tickettailor.com/events/purina/349478.

Libby Sheridan, MVB MRCVS, Purina Veterinary Technical Affairs Manager, said: "Veterinary professionals often see the consequences of sensitivities to cat allergens  - which for some, it may even mean relinquishment of the pet with all the emotion attached around that event. This symposium will focus on the consequences for cat welfare and how the profession can help support their cat-owning clients through a breakthrough approach."

The new approach is based on neutralising the major cat allergen in cats' saliva, Fel d 1, through feeding a cat food coated with an egg product ingredient containing anti-Fel d 1 antibodies.

This, says the company, helps to reduce the active allergen transferred to hair and dander during grooming, and ultimately helps reduce active Fel d 1 in the environment.

Dr Sparkes is a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the founding and current co-editor of the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, the official journal of ISFM and the American Association of Feline Practitioners. He will be sharing his review of the literature around feline relinquishment.

Dr. Satyaraj is a member of the American Association of Immunologists and the American Veterinary Immunology Association and a reviewer for several journals including the British Journal of Nutrition and Arthritis & Rheumatism. He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Science in St Louis and a leading scientist at the Purina Institute. Dr Satyaraj will be focusing on the studies supporting this important area of research.

The symposium provides 1.5 hours of certified CPD. More information about the science is available at www.purinainstitute.com.

PS: Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vet nurses.