Successful conference on “Gastric ulcers, an underestimated problem?!”

The conference on “Gastric ulcers, an underestimated problem?!” took place on Wednesday, 27 September. Seventy-eight nutritionists, advisors, researchers and veterinarians from the Netherlands and Belgium attended this interesting and informative day.

A range of aspects relating to damage to the stomach wall were covered in detail, such as prevalence, possible causes, diagnosis and prevention by feed measures, in particular.

The morning programme focused on prevalence and the development of damage to the stomach wall. Theo Geudeke (from the Dutch animal health services organisation, GD Animal Health) opened the day by providing insight into the number of affected animals and the severity of stomach wall damage in the Netherlands. Line Hummelmose Dines (SEGES) and Chloë DeWitte (Ugent) discussed the role of viruses and bacteria. After a generous lunch, Xandra Benthem de Grave (SFR) told of her organisation’s search for biomarkers to enable the assessment of stomach wall damage in live animals. Nuria Canibe (Aarhus University) and Gert Hemke (SFR) closed the day, each with a presentation about the role feed plays in stomach wall integrity. At the end, attendees had the opportunity to enjoy a chat about the day at the bar over a snack and a drink.