Purina® Institute symposium at BSAVA Congress to focus on managing cat allergens

19 February 2020

On Friday 3rd April, at BSAVA Congress, the Purina® Institute will host a two-hour symposium on managing cat allergens. Speakers at the event will include world-leading researchers, Andrew H. Sparkes, BVetMed, PhD, DipECVIM, MANZCVS, MRCVS and Ebenezer Satyaraj, PhD.

Libby Sheridan, MVB MRCVS, Purina® Veterinary Technical Affairs Manager, UK & Ireland says she is excited to share the science of cat allergens with the veterinary profession, “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.”

This approach is based on ground breaking science which explains how the major cat allergen – Fel d 1 – in the cat’s saliva can be safely neutralised through feeding a nutritious cat food coated with an innovative egg product ingredient containing anti-Fel d 1 antibodies.* This 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.

BSAVA Congress delegates can register for the event here. The symposium provides 1.5 hours of certified CPD. More information about the science is available at www.purinainstitute.com.

References
*Satyaraj E, Sun P and Sherrill S (2019). Fel d 1 blocking anti bodies against the major cat allergen Fel d 1. Presented at the annual meeting of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Lisbon, Portugal.
**Satyaraj E, Li Q, Sun P and Sherrill S (2019). Anti -Fel d 1 immunoglobulin Y anti body-containing egg ingredient lowers allergen levels in cat saliva, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 21(10): 875-881. Doi:10.1177/1098612X19861218
Press contact: Susan McKay, Companion Consultancy, Tel 07887 515870, susan@companionconsultancy.com