History

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The European Society of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition (ESVCN) was founded October 5th 1991 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna during the WSAVA congress.  The society is affiliated to the European Society of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ESVIM). After a few years of organising a one day seminar in conjunction with the ESVIM congresses, since 1997, the ESVCN started organising its own independent yearly congress in September.

The first scientific meetings of the ESVCN were organised as a side program or part of the ESVIM/ECVIM congresses or the WSAVA congress: The first scientific meeting took place in Rome, in 1992, followed by a pre-congress symposium in Berlin, where the WSAVA congress was held in 1993. In 1994, the ESVCN held its meeting in Brussels, within the ECVIM Congress. Cambridge was the next venue for the ECVIM-CA-Congress, with a half-day session devoted to the ESVCN, as also was the case in Eindhoven in 1996.

The ESVCN continues to take part at the ECVIM-CA Congresses through a nutrition session. The Vice-president of ESVCN is now responsible for facilitating the ESVCN session at the ECVIM-CA Congress. 

ESVCN Congresses

In 1996, the Board decided to organise independent, low-budget ESVCN-Congresses to attract young scientists to participate and to present their research work; subsequently, in 1997 the first ESVCN Congress was organised by Ellen Kienzle in Munich. Today, the annual ESVCN-Congress is a well-established event together with the residency class, organized by the College

Where ESVCN has been held so far

2017 – Cirencester, United Kingdom               2018 - Munich, Germany
2016 – Berlin, Germany                                     2019 - Turin, Italy
2015 – Toulouse, France                                    2020 - Munich, Germany, Online
2014 – Utrecht, The Netherlands                       2021 - Vila Real, Portugal, Virtually there
2013 – Ghent, Belgium                                        2022 - Basel, Switzerland 
2012 – Bydgosczc, Poland
2011 – Zaragoza, Spain
2010 – Zurich, Switzerland
2009 – Oristano, Sardinia, Italy
2008 – Vienna, Austria
2007 – Leipzig, Germany
2006 – Nantes, France
2005 – Grugliasco, Italy
2004 – Budapest, Hungary
2003 – Hannover, Germany
2002 – Antwerp, Belgium
2001 – Sursee, Switzerland
2000 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1999 – Lyon, France
1998 – Vienna, Austria
1997 – Munich, Germany

Before the congresses, the first scientific meetings of the ESVCN were organised as a side program or part of the ESVIM/ECVIM congresses or the WSAVA congress:

  • 1997 - ESVCN seminar @ ECVIM congress Sep 11-13, 1997; Lyon, France
  • 1996 - ESVCN seminar @ ECVIM congress Sep 12-16, 1996; Veldhoven, The Netherlands
  • 1995 - ESVCN seminar @ ESVIM congress Aug 31 – Sep 2, 1995; Cambridge, UK
    • Aug 31: Calcium
  • 1994 - ESVCN Seminar @ ESVIM congress Sep 9-11, 1994; Brussels, Belgium
    • Sep 9: L-Carnitine
    • Sep 10: Feline hepatic lipidosis
    • Sep 11: Nutrition consultation
  • 1993 - ESVCN Seminar as pre-congress day of the WSAVA congress Berlin, Germany
    • Oct 6: Nutrition and skeletal diseases in dogs of giant breeds
    • Nutrition of Sled dogs and greyhounds
    • Nutrition problems in rodents, cage birds and toy fish
  • 1992 - ESVCN Seminar @ WSAVA congress Sep 24-27, 1992; Rome, Italy
    • Sep 24: Chronic diarrhoea in dogs (Joint Seminar with the Gastroenterology Society)

First Board

Prof. Josef Leibetseder – President
Prof. Ronald S. Anderson – Vice-President
Prof. Helmut C. Meyer – Honorary President
Prof. Dominique Grandjean - Treasurer
Dr. Jacques Debraekeleer - Secretary

Find out more about the Board

Founding Members

Prof. Josef Leibetseder - Veterinärmedizinsche Universität, Vienna (Austria)
Prof. Ronald S. Anderson - University of Liverpool (UK)
Prof. Helmut C. Meyer - Tierärztliche Hochschule, Hannover (Germany)
Prof. Jean-Pierre Cotard - Ecole National Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Maisons-Alfort (France)
Dr. Jacques Debraekeleer - Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Tienen (Belgium)

History of the ESVCN Board

Years Past President President Secretary Treasurer Vice President
2023-2025 Britta Dobenecker Aulus Carciofi Nicole Frost Nyquist Wendy Wambacq Jürgen Zentek
2020-2022 Pat Harris Britta Dobenecker Maria Grazia Cappai Ronald Corbee Aulus Carciofi
2016-2019 Geert Janssens Pat Harris Maria Grazia Cappai Ronald Corbee Britta Dobenecker
2013-2016 Christine Iben Geert Janssens Britta Dobenecker Marianne Diez Pat Harris
2010-2013 Domenico Bergero Christine Iben Britta Dobenecker Jacques Debraekeleer Geert Janssens
2007-2010 Josef Kamphues Domenico Bergero Britta Dobenecker Jacques Debraekeleer Christine Iben
2004-2007 Marcel Wanner Josef Kamphues Jacques Debraekeleer Marianne Diez Domenico Bergero
2001-2004 Bernard Paragon Marcel Wanner Christine Iben Marianne Diez Josef Kamphues
1998-2001 Ellen Kienzle Bernard Paragon Dominique Grandjean Roland de Wilde Marcel Wanner
1996-1998 Ronald S Anderson Ellen Kienzle Jacques Debraekeleer Dominice Grandjean Bernard Paragon
1994-1996 Josef Leibetseder Ronald S. Anderson Helmut C. Meyer Roland de Wilde Ellen Kienzle
1991-1994 Helmut C. Meyer Josef Leibetseder Jacques Debraekeleer Dominique Grandjean Ronald S. Anderson

History of the ESVCN Board

Years Board Members
2023-2025 Past President: Britta Dobenecker, President: Aulus Carciofi, Secretary: Nicole Frost Nyquist, Treasurer: Wendy Wambacq, Vice-President: Jürgen Zentek
2020-2022 Past President: Pat Harris, President: Britta Dobenecker, Secretary: Maria Grazia Cappai, Treasurer: Ronald Corbee, Vice-President: Aulus Carciofi
1996-1998 Past President: Ronald S Anderson, President: Ellen Kienzle, Secretary: Jacques Debraekeleer, Treasurer: Dominice Grandjean, Vice-President: Bernard Paragon
2016-2019 Past President: Geert Janssens, President: Pat Harris, Secretary: Maria Grazia Cappai, Treasurer: Ronald Corbee, Vice-President: Britta Dobenecker
2013-2016 Past President: Christine Iben, President: Geert Janssens, Secretary: Britta Dobenecker, Treasurer: Marianne Diez, Vice-President: Pat Harris
2010-2013 Past President: Domenico Bergero, President: Christine Iben, Secretary: Britta Dobenecker, Treasurer: Jacques Debraekeleer, Vice-President: Geert Janssens
2007-2010 Past President: Josef Kamphues, President: Domenico Bergero, Secretary: Britta Dobenecker, Treasurer: Jacques Debraekeleer, Vice-President: Christine Iben
2004-2007 Past President: Marcel Wanner, President: Josef Kamphues, Secretary: Jacques Debraekeleer, Treasurer: Marianne Diez, Vice-President: Domenico Bergero
2001-2004 Past President: Bernard Paragon, President: Marcel Wanner, Secretary: Christine Iben, Treasurer: Marianne Diez, Vice-President: Josef Kamphues
1998-2001 Past President: Ellen Kienzle, President: Bernard Paragon, Secretary: Dominique Grandjean, Treasurer: Roland de Wilde, Vice-President: Marcel Wanner
1994-1996 Past President: Josef Leibetseder, President: Ronald S. Anderson, Secretary: Helmut C. Meyer, Treasurer: Roland de Wilde, Vice-President: Ellen Kienzle
1991-1994 Past President: Helmut C. Meyer, President: Josef Leibetseder, Secretary: Jacques Debraekeleer, Treasurer: Dominique Grandjean, Vice-President: Ronald S. Anderson