The Headlines

Mission Possible  

It took six months, a retrofitted military plane, a 17,000-square-foot holding facility at the airport and a coordinated effort between four countries but Mission Possible has touched down safely in Vancouver.The withdrawal of American troops last year caused locals to flee on short notice - often leaving their beloved pets behind out of necessity. The mission to rescue over 300 cats and dogs abandoned in Afghanistan was led by SPCA International and Kabul Small Animal Rescue with support from international donors who rallied behind the cause. After an initial failed attempt in August, The animals were loaded onto a specially designed Russian Ilyushin 76-TD transport aircraft and left Kabul on January 30th. Veterinary teams were dispatched to meet the aircraft on the tarmac at each stopover in Turkey, Iceland and at its final destination in Vancouver. The animals are reportedly in good health, up to date on vaccinations, and will be available for adoption via an online registration form for individuals and organizations. However, even in good health, vector borne disease and infectious conditions such as rabies may be present in the population of imported dogs.  It is important that veterinary teams are mindful of how these infectious etiologies may impact their communities following large scale importations.Overall it is great t see the incredible work of veterinarians and animal-serving non profits around the world.  

NFTs of... giant pandas?

Who had non-fungible animals on their 2022 bingo card? That's right... the World Wildlife Fund UK is selling NFTs to raise money for their efforts in protecting 13 endangered species around the world. While it might sound like a good idea, the inherent contradiction between trying to save endangered animals with a fundraiser that has been criticized for its poor environmental impact is a bit puzzling to say the least. The WWF is building the NFTs on Polygon, a side-chain of Ethereum that is more environmentally friendly. However, critics have quickly pointed out that anything using the Ethereum blockchain is a highly energy intensive process. While WWF UK brought sales to a close early, and have said they are committed to learning more about the process and making informed decisions in the future, WWF Germany's fundraiser is still going strong and has raised over €247,000.

Veterinary Artificial Intelligence

Whether you firmly believe in its application, or you're a bit more skeptical, one thing is for certain: the use of Artificial Intelligence is increasing across veterinary medicine. This week, Today's Veterinary Business discussed current and future applications of the technology. It is a great read which gives a high level overview of current and future applications in Radiology, data analytics and Diagnosis/Prediction.  While there are currently some commercial AI products on the market we encourage veterinarians to be mindful of their implementation.  AI that performs diagnostic tests, like radiology applications for disease identification, should be treated the same as any other diagnostic.  It needs to be founded in scientific evidence with publications supporting accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. AI will be one of the most important topics of 2022.  Stay tuned to JAVMA, AJVR and Veterinary Radiology and Ultrasound as Obi co-founder Ryan Appleby has been hard at work preparing articles to help veterinarians better understand AI technologies and their impact on practice.

Quick hits:

Here are the stories that caught our eyes this week and are worth a read: What can the Chernobyl disaster teach us about the effects of radiation on animals? [The Ecologist]Woolly mammoth and rhino among Ice Age animals discovered in Devon cave [Natural History Museum]Veterinarians Without Borders expanding work in Canadian territories [Cabin Radio]

Trivia

What is the highest dwelling mammal?

The animal was recently discovered at the top of a 22,000-foot volcano in South America.

Find the answer at the bottom of this email!

New on Obi

Dentistry has arrived!

February is Pet Dental Health Month, and we're celebrating with a full month of dentistry continuing education! Starting today, Foundations of Dentistry with Dr. Amy Thomson is available to add to your course library. This 3-hour course is the first of three dentistry certificates released this month. In 32 quick lessons, you'll master the most important concepts of anatomy, examinations and regional anesthesia to get ready for that next tricky extraction.

Pre-order your next 9 hours of dentistry and save $40! Offer valid until Monday, February 7th.

Dentistry Bundle

CA$185.00

Foundations of Veterinary Dentistry

CA$75.00

Your weekly dopamine 

Watching rescue animals find a forever home

Joe Kay, an adoption coordinator at Wayne County Humane Society in Ohio has been sharing the joyous moments that dogs and cats get put on hold and meet their new pet parents. The videos are absolutely heartwarming and are guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Check out @adoptingdogs

on TikTok.

Trivia Answer

A yellow-rumped leaf-eared mouse (Phyllotis xanthopygus) was recently discovered at 22,000 feet of elevation on the top of Llullaillaco volcano, making it the species that dwells at higher elevations than any other mammal.

Read more on

National Geographic.

Let us know what you'd like to see in future editions of Weekend Rounds by replying to this email.