Weekend Rounds - 12.26

Vet staff get organized💪

December 26, 2021

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This holiday season has been a weird one. Between clinic closures due to COVID outbreaks and the strain Omicron surges have put on family gatherings, we hope it has been safe and healthy for you and your loved ones. If it was anything like ours it probably involved a rapid test or two. We also know that the coming week has particular strain on our community as families possibly have one last Christmas with their beloved pet, or even those holiday related emergencies that always seem to arise. Thanks for all you do, and happy holidays to all.

- The Obi Veterinary team

The Headlines

Vet Staff Get Organized

In a latest effort to secure better working conditions, employees at the Rochester based Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Services (VSES)

. The move comes after VSES sold to Pathway Veterinary Alliance (now Thrive Pet Care) earlier this year. With the strain of the pandemic and challenges associated with changes in ownership, organization may have a role to play in ensuring the best working conditions and compensation for veterinary professionals.

Earlier this year, Liz Hughston, the president of the

about the Pros and Cons of unionization in the veterinary field. It is an interesting read regardless of your views on unionization and organizing.

What we know is that the demand for veterinary services has never been higher. The strain on veterinary professionals is intense. And from the point of view of the people on the ground (and I mean literally on the ground restraining animals) it is tough to see large corporations continue to profit to the tune of millions, or in the case of everyone's favourite chocolate company, billions of dollars. This isn't to say that there can't be positives about veterinary corporations. For example, Thrive

. It does seem as though the benefits to team members could be spread around in many cases though.

Life Finds a Way

In one of the cooler things we have seen this Holiday season researchers in China have identified a 66 million year old fossilized dinosaur egg with a

. The oviraptorosaur embryo looks remarkably like a bird and is even positioned in a curled position known as tucking, commonly seen in avian species.

Lets hope this team has a veterinarian on staff. The team from Jurassic Park went without one and we all saw how that turned out

The Alternatives Industry

This week in things that we wish didn't need to be said, vaccines work better than Reiki. The

on the pet boom in Australia and the volume of sales in different animal sectors. The

they cite describes $270 million a year on alternative therapies. And while we know some of this might factor in to medically necessary therapy, that boat load of cash is in some way going to alternatives that don't work. Glad to see the Guardian writing to let pet parents know about what is and is not necessary. Probably good for us as veterinarians to up our game on client education as well.

Trivia

What animal's feces is in the shape of a cube?

Check the bottom of this email for the answer and reason.

Your weekly dopamine

For no reason other than it's absurdly cute, here are some lovely pets getting into the holiday spirit:

#LearnWithObi

Looking to get those last few RACE-approved hours in before the end of the year? Check out Obi's newest RACE-approved certificates:

Trivia Answer

Our cubed feces producing friends are

wombats

. Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Tasmania

behind the curiously shaped excrement: there are two stiff and two flexible areas around the circumference of the wombat intestine. The cubes are formed within the last 17% of the colon intestine through the drying of the faeces in the colon, and muscular contractions.

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