Biomedical waste is a well-recognized environmental problem, yet less is known about the waste generated in the delivery of veterinary care compared to human medicine. The objective of this project was to develop and pilot a waste audit protocol for veterinary medicine that could inform waste management at a US university veterinary teaching hospital and the broader veterinary community. We conducted a multi-day review of the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital’s small animal surgery and anesthesia units to measure the types and amounts of waste generated during routine surgeries. Metrics included total weight, number of bags, and individual counts for specific items of concern and items with sustainable alternatives. We calculated frequencies and percentages of waste by waste audit material category and noted any erroneous materials sorted. Despite waste being a prioritized sustainability issue in veterinary medicine, this work highlighted opportunities for better education on managing and optimizing existing resources through behavior modification. This article explores ways the 5Rs (Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Research) could be better operationalized in veterinary hospitals.

Northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus, NFS) are a vulnerable species broadly distributed throughout the north Pacific. Although commercial hunting stopped in 1984, the population has continued to decline for unknown reasons. The goal of this scoping review was to synthesize and review 50 years of literature relevant to the health of NFS to inform the development of health surveillance recommendations. Search criteria were developed and applied to three databases, followed by title and abstract screening and full text review. Articles published between 1 January 1972 and 31 December 2021 were included. Articles were categorized by health determinant, and further as relating to ten subcategories of disease. Data were summarized descriptively. A total of 148 publications met the criteria for inclusion. Infectious disease reports were common, primarily relating to metazoan parasite presence. The presence of zoonotic pathogens such as Coxiella burnetii and Brucella spp. is of public health interest, although a failure to link disease research to individual animal or population health outcomes was consistent across the literature. A shift away from the single agent focus of disease programs toward more holistic, health-oriented perspectives will require broader interdisciplinary collaboration. These findings can inform stakeholders and help them to prioritize and strategize on future NFS health research efforts.