The second day of LeishVet UP! 2026 broadens the discussion to some of the more complex aspects of the disease.

The programme includes sessions on uncommon clinical presentations in dogs, coinfections, and canine leishmaniosis associated with immune-mediated conditions. These topics are important because real-world patients do not always present according to the textbook.

The ability to recognise unusual presentations and understand possible interactions with other diseases can be crucial when investigating a complex case.

Feline leishmaniosis features repeatedly throughout the programme, reflecting growing interest in the disease in cats.

Sessions will address feline leishmaniosis as well as the LeishVet clinical staging approach for cats, with further discussion of diagnosis through serology and PCR.

For veterinary professionals working with feline patients, these sessions offer an opportunity to explore a disease that can be more difficult to recognise and interpret in clinical practice.

Leishmania is not only a veterinary concern. The programme also includes a session dedicated to canine and feline leishmaniosis and public-health considerations, presented by Gad Baneth and Patrick Bourdeau.

This broader perspective reinforces the importance of considering leishmaniosis within a One Health context, where animal health, human health and environmental factors are closely interconnected.

One of the highlights of the second day will be an interactive discussion of clinical cases with LeishVet members.

Rather than focusing exclusively on lectures, participants will have the opportunity to work through clinical cases, with case studies shared before the event. The session is scheduled for three hours, providing substantial time for discussion and practical learning.

This practical element is particularly valuable because it allows scientific knowledge to be connected directly to the decisions veterinarians make in everyday clinical practice.

Across two days, LeishVet UP! 2026 will cover the disease from multiple perspectives: epidemiology, infection and disease progression, diagnosis, biomarkers, treatment, drug resistance, prevention, clinical staging, coinfections and public health.

The programme also brings together a broad group of LeishVet experts, including Guadalupe Miró, Patrick Bourdeau, Gaetano Oliva, Laia Solano-Gallego, Tina Kotnik, Gad Baneth, Luis Cardoso and Laura Ordeix.

For veterinary professionals who diagnose or manage leishmaniosis, or who want to stay current with developments in this rapidly evolving field, LeishVet UP! 2026 promises to be an important opportunity to update knowledge, discuss challenging cases and explore where the field is heading next.

LeishVet UP! 2026 takes place on 16–17 October 2026, with the scientific programme combining expert presentations, discussion sessions and interactive clinical case work.

View the full LeishVet UP! 2026 Scientific Programme

Thank you for being part of the LeishVet community and for helping us carry this message of solidarity, dignity and hope.
We look forward to welcoming you to Bled.

Rather than simply listening to lectures, participants will actively work through real clinical challenges alongside internationally recognised LeishVet experts.

Whether you are looking to improve your diagnostic reasoning, discuss treatment strategies, or exchange ideas with colleagues, this session promises to be one of the most engaging experiences of LeishVet UP!

We look forward to seeing you there!

The structure of the evening helps. A welcome drink that is not rushed. People arriving in waves, conversations building naturally instead of being forced. Then dinner, rooted in Slovenian tradition. Generous, comforting, easy to share and talk about. No one is overthinking the menu. That is a good sign.

Then, almost without a hard transition, the energy lifts. Music fills the room. Not background noise. Something you notice immediately. Something that belongs to this place. There is always a moment, just a few seconds, where people are not sure what to do. Look around, smile, take it in.
And then it clicks.

Conversations get louder. People lean in. Someone laughs. Someone else starts tapping along to the rhythm. The room becomes more fluid, less structured. Titles and roles matter a little less.

For a congress like LeishVet UP!, that shift is incredibly valuable. During the day, everything is focused, precise, structured. Talks, data, discussions. Necessary, of course. But also intense. In the evening, you need something that releases that pressure without losing the sense of purpose. This setting does exactly that.
It creates space for real connection.

You start to see different dynamics. People who did not interact during sessions suddenly sharing a table conversation. New collaborations being hinted at over dessert. Small groups forming and reforming. It is subtle, but it is where the real value of a congress often lives.

And then there is the cultural layer.

We are not just hosting an event. We are inviting people into a piece of Slovenia that goes beyond the obvious highlights. Yes, Bled is beautiful. Everyone knows that. But this is something deeper. Music with roots. Food with context. A space that has been used for celebration, performance, and gathering long before our event arrived.

Months later, attendees might not remember every presentation. That is normal. But they will remember this night. The atmosphere. The sound of live music in a full room. The sense of being part of something that was not generic.

But the real reason goes beyond logistics. It gives the event a different kind of energy. One that is harder to describe, but easy to recognise when you are in the room.
And if people leave thinking, “that was not just another conference dinner,” then we have done our job.

You just need to confirm your attendance for organisation purposes. The Social Dinner on October 16th 2026 is included in your registration rate, as well as the transport organised from the congress premises to the restaurant and back.

We hope you can join us!

When everything is in one place, you do not lose energy commuting between venues. When the surroundings are calm and beautiful, your mind has space to absorb information. Informal conversations over dinner often spark insights that formal lectures cannot.

Some of the most useful clinical tips are exchanged not at the podium, but over coffee. Or while walking back from a session, still processing what you just heard.

What makes LeishVet UP! different is that it has been designed around this reality. The focus is practical decision making based on real clinical cases. Not abstract data presented in isolation, but how that data translates into what you do at 4.30 pm on a busy Friday.

Arnold Rikli was one of the greatest pioneers of natural healing and a true visionary of his time. In the 19th century, he recognised the healing power of sun, fresh air, water, and movement — principles that were revolutionary long before wellness became a global movement.

By establishing one of the first organised health resorts in Bled, he laid the foundations of health tourism in the region and helped shape Bled’s international reputation as a place of vitality and innovation.

It is no coincidence that LeishVet UP! takes place here. Just as Rikli once brought new ideas about health to Bled, LeishVet UP! gathers modern veterinary professionals to exchange knowledge, challenge conventions, and shape the future of animal care — inspired by a place where progressive thinking has deep roots.