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Altano Academy Colic Conference 2025

Fri, 10 October, 2025 - Sat, 11 October, 2025

Species

Equine

Contact Hours

12.5 Hours - RACE Approval Pending

Early Booking Deadline

Fri, 10 October, 2025

Registration Deadline

Fri, 12 September, 2025

Language

English

Extras

Course Dinner at Hotel van der Valk - USD 0.00

Sponsors
Discipline

Anaesthesia & Pain Management

Internal Medicine – Endocrinology, Haematology, Infectious Diseases, Parasitology & Oncology

Surgery

On Friday 10 and Saturday 11 October 2025 we will host the first Altano Academy Colic Conference at SMDC in the Netherlands!

With multi-disciplinary team of international speakers from within and outside of Altano, we will take the participants through all aspects of the acute colic patient: from admission and diagnostic challenges to surgical approaches and anesthetic management, from preoperative stabilisation to postoperative assessment of vital functions and pain.

With key-note lectures of well known specialists and multi-disciplinary interactive case discussions, we invite you to acitively participate during these days!

Join us for an intensive two-day clinical program focused entirely on colic in equine patients, delivered by a distinguished panel of international experts in equine surgery, anesthesia, and internal medicine. The Altano Academy Colic Conference combines in-depth lectures, real-world case reviews, and interactive panel discussions to deepen your diagnostic, surgical, and post-operative management skills.

Topics Include:

  • Surgical Decision-Making & Intra-Op Management Detailed guidance on colic work-up and surgical decision-making, including intra-operative blood gas interpretation and its clinical implications.
  • Advanced Surgical Techniques Step-by-step discussion of small intestine and large colon anastomosis techniques, with emphasis on outcomes and complication management.
  • Obstetrical Colic Cases Managing colic caused by dystocias, fetotomies, and C-sections - a multidisciplinary look at reproductive emergencies.
  • Laparoscopic Innovations Techniques to prevent recurrence of colic, including laparoscopic closure of inguinal rings, epiploic foramen ablation, and nephrosplenic space procedures.
  • Critical Care & Biosecurity Strategies for intra-operative blood pressure support, ventilation in anesthetised colic patients, and essential biosecurity protocols to minimize nosocomial risk.
  • Comparative Insights Explore abdominal surgery approaches from the perspective of human medicine, offering a unique angle on equine surgical principles.
  • Interactive Case Discussions Both days feature live panel reviews of real colic cases, encouraging audience interaction, collaborative learning, and application of concepts.

Dr. Martin Genton graduated from the National Veterinary School of Lyon in 2014. He completed an internship at the Veterinary School of Maisons Alfort and then, after 1 year of private practice, he joined the clinic for a surgical residency with Doctor Rossignol. Martin Genton completed the 3 years of this training and obtained the specialist diploma in surgery called “ECVS” (European College of Veterinary Surgery).

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Doctor Thijs van Loon graduated in 2000 from the Utrecht Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. After graduating, he worked for 3 years in a mixed private practice. After the first year with a lot of general practice, he started to focus on equine anesthesia and internal medicine. In early 2004 he returned to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Utrecht and received a training position in veterinary anesthesiology, pain management and Intensive Care. Simultaneously with the training programme, Thijs started a doctoral research into local pain relief techniques in horses (including epidural anesthesia) and into the objective measurement of pain manifestations. 

In 2012, Thijs passed his exams for the European register of specialists and became a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists and Analgesia (ECVAA). In the same year he completed his PhD and defended his dissertation in the Academy Building in Utrecht entitled “Analgesia in the Horse, various approaches for assessment and treatment of pain and nociception in equines”. 

Between 2012 and 2021 Thijs continued to work at the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care of the University Clinic for Horses in Utrecht. He has guided countless students, interns and specialists in training. In addition to his work in the clinic, he continued research into making acute and chronic pain measurable in horses and donkeys. This resulted, among other things, in the development of the EPWA (Equine Pain and Welfare App) app. This app, with which pain signals in horses and donkeys can be objectively measured, was developed with the cooperation of colleagues and research students, supported by the Friends of Veterinary Medicine Foundation and the Paardenkamp Foundation. A version that can be used for working horses and donkeys in developing countries is being developed, with support from Brooke Hospital for Animals. 

Thijs has been working at SMDC since in September 2021. Both in Heesch and in the international clinics of Altano, he uses his knowledge and experience to supervise (sometimes complex) anesthesia and sedation procedures and to contribute to the further development of pain relief for various disorders. Thijs also provides refresher courses in anesthesia and pain relief for Altano Academy. Since the beginning of 2023, Thijs combines his work for SMDC and Altano with working at the department of clinical sciences at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. 

Thijs is currently moving back to Utrecht University to further commit to clinical teaching, patient care and clinical research in the filed of pain management and assessment.


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Prof. Ann Martens graduated in 1993 at Ghent University as ‘Doctor in Veterinary Medicine’ and immediately started het academic career at Ghent University. In 2000, she defended her PhD on the diagnosis and treatment of equine sarcoids and became a post-doctoral scientific staff member. In 2002, she became a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (Specialist in Large Animal Surgery). Presently she is full professor in equine surgery and since 2022 dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

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Dr. Matteo Mereu studied Veterinary Medicine at the University of Sassari in Sardinia, Italy. After graduating, he gained international clinical experience through an internship at Weems and Stephens Equine Hospital in Aubrey, Texas, followed by a surgical internship at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Kentucky. He then completed a residency in equine surgery at Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital in Ireland and became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS) in 2023. In 2020, Dr. Mereu joined the Großwallstadt Equine Clinic in Germany as an equine surgeon and was appointed Managing Director in 2024.

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Dr. Mohamad Al Naem graduated in 2006 from Al Baath University in Syria with a degree in Veterinary Medicine. He subsequently completed a residency in equine surgery at the University of Giessen in Germany and became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons (ECVS) in 2021. Since 2022, Dr. Al Naem has been working as an equine surgeon at the SaarLorLux Equine Clinic in Germany.

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A registered Specialist and European Boarded Diplomate in Equine Surgery; Greg joined Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre (A division of Hamilton Veterinary Services) in 2011. His caseload is principally composed of surgical and non-surgical orthopedic and upper airway issues of the elite thoroughbred, coupled with his strong academic background, this adds a vital component of the team.

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Caroline graduated from the University of Ghent in 2016, then completed an internship in equine medicine and surgery at Bosdreef Equine Hospital in Belgium. She subsequently joined the medicine team at De Morette Equine Hospital in Brussels, where she completed a residency in equine internal medicine and was awarded Diplomate status of the European College of Equine Internal Medicine (ECEIM) in 2023.

Caroline spent a year as a senior clinician hospital medicine team in 2023 at Rossdales Equine Hospital, before taking on the role of Head of Internal Medicine at Via Nova Equine Services in Belgium, focusing on sport medicine, equine athletic health, and performance. Caroline has rejoined the internal medicine team at Rossdales Equine Hospital in June 2025. Caroline is interested in all areas of equine medicine but particularly enjoys emergency and critical care of foals and adult horses, as well as nutrition and all internal medicine aspects of equine sports medicine.


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Dr. Sandersen graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1997, graduated from the College of Equine Internal Medicine in and obtained the European Specialist title in Anaesthesia and Analgesia in 2013. She also holds a doctoral thesis on echocardiography in horses. She follows up anaesthetized patients in pet and equine clinics.

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Please download the Program PDF to view it: Download PDF

Venue

Hooge Wijststraat 7, 5384 RC Heesch

CONTACT DETAILS

SMDC B.V.

Hooge Wijststraat 7
5384 RC Heesch
The Netherlands

Website: https://www.sporthorsemdc.com/

NEARBY AIRPORTS

Eindhoven Airport: 43 km
Amsterdam Airport: 107 km

NEARBY HOTELS

Hotel Details

Distance to Clinic

Guide Price (pppn)

Van der Valk Nuland – ‘s Hertogenbosch

Rijksweg 25

5391 LH       Nuland – The Netherlands

Book here

9 km

From 94€





Altano Member

Lectures Only

USD 232.99

USD 232.99

Qualified Vet

Lectures Only

USD 465.98

USD 465.98

If the options you are looking for are unavailable, please contact us.

No tax will be added unless you are a UK taxpayer

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