Purina Institute Global Summit Convenes Veterinary Experts to Advance Preventive Care

The Purina Institute Global Summit 2026, which was held in May, gathered veterinary professionals from more than 100 countries around a shared goal: turning the latest science into practical preventive care to improve pet health and strengthen veterinarian-client partnerships.

The annual summit is grounded in evidence-based medicine aimed at providing veterinarians with actionable ideas they can apply in practice to help support longer, healthier lives for pets.

Focused on the theme, Proactive, Not Reactive: Changing the Care Paradigm, the summit explored how veterinary medicine can act earlier and more intentionally to protect pet health before health conditions become established. This shift matters because earlier, more intentional care can help veterinary teams identify risks sooner, make prevention more practical for pet owners and support healthier lives for pets.

During the two-day event, globally renowned speakers focused on why preventive care works best when it is easy to deliver, easy for clients to follow and embedded into routine care. Key themes included:

• Using existing visits, such as vaccination appointments and wellness checks, as opportunities to talk with pet owners about what they can do now to help prevent future health issues.
• Treating pet owner communication as a clinical skill that should be taught and practiced intentionally across the whole veterinary team. Multiple sessions focused on making recommendations simple, specific and realistic for pet owners to implement.
• Reinforcing that prevention should be individualized, with more attention paid to what pet owners value, where they consume information, and what barriers may prevent action. Sessions discussed the importance of offering practical alternatives for pet owners when cost is a barrier – helping ensure pets have the access to the care they need to live their happiest, healthiest lives.
• Underscoring that prevention is broader than a single intervention, sessions examined the role of healthy weight and nutrition as foundational health maintenance tools; connected pet technologies, such as activity monitors and smart feeders that can help track changes in pets’ behavior, activity and eating patterns over time; and the use of emerging biomarkers for earlier detection.
• Nutrition was a key area of discussion including the role of maintaining a lean or optimal body condition in dogs throughout life to help improve life span and health as shown by the groundbreaking Purina Life Span Study.

“The Purina Institute Global Summit continues to serve as the forum for translating science into practical strategies for veterinary professionals,” said Dr. Marianne Lomberg, global head of the Purina Institute. “The goal of this year’s summit was to empower veterinary professionals to design care plans for their practices that makes prevention understandable, relevant and achievable.”

From practical communication and preventive nutrition to emerging technologies and stronger client relationships, the Purina Institute Global Summit emphasized how veterinarians can deliver care that leads to better outcomes for pets and the people who love them.