Description

In the UK, many veterinary professionals would never expect to be in a situation where they are called on to help a marine mammal. However, in 2020 alone British Divers Marine Life Rescue responded to over 2000 calls to animals in distress- the majority seals and cetaceans. Whenever possible, BDMLR utilises veterinary professionals to ensure animals receive the highest standards of care. In this short lecture series, we will explore two different scenarios. Firstly, a seal pup being brought into your practice having been rescued by BDMLR volunteers- how will you assess and treat the patient? Secondly, receiving a call to attend a dolphin which has stranded on a local beach- how will you approach this complex situation? What are the options available to the dolphin and how do you decide the best course of action?

Transcription

Hello and welcome to this webinar series on non-captive marine mammal medicine in the UK. My name is Natalie Waddington and I'm one of the veterinary consultants at British Divers Marine Life Rescue. For those of you who don't know who we are, British Divers Marine Life Rescue is a national charity which was established in 1988.
We attend marine wildlife in distress through our large network of volunteer marine mammal medics who are trained via our one day course. Our veterinary support is provided by both local veterinary practises who may or may not be medics with us, as well as our team of consultants who can offer remote support over the phone. Around 90% of our callouts each year are to seals and specifically to seal pups, with the other 10% being mainly cetaceans, as well as a few birds, turtles and sharks, etc.
And just to explain how our callouts work, so a member of the public will call BDMLR head office regarding a seal that they're concerned about, and then head office will take some details and advise on what the most appropriate response might be. If required, BGMLR medics will be asked to attend the seal, perform an assessment, and provide first aid when needed. The medics and head office will come to a decision then about whether the pup needs to be uplifted for further treatment and or and or rehabilitation.
The aim is to get the seal to a specialist rehab facility as soon as possible, but very often we will end up utilising local veterinary practises to give the puppets initial checkover and get treatments started first. So this is when it's really fantastic to have more vets and veterinary nurses who are aware of the basics of assessment and treatment in these species. So over the course of this webinar series, we're going to explore two different scenarios which you may find yourself faced with in practise.
The first is where a seal pup has been brought into your practise by BGMLR medics for further assessment and care. And the second is where a dolphin has stranded live at your local beach and BGMLR have called asking for your assistance. We will look at each scenario in turn with 2 webinars dedicated to each.
We will look at how we assess and treat these patients as well as considering what options are available to them and how to decide the best course of action. It's important that I clarify here that watching these will not qualify you as a BDMLR medic. Our medic courses are much more in depth, particularly in regard to rescue and practical skills, and qualification then means you are covered by our insurance on rescues.
But anyone wanting to complete a course is very welcome to check out our website for further information. So the aims of these talks is to provide you with a basic introduction to non-captive marine mammal medicine and hopefully means you will go away with some useful and practical information which you could use in practise or in the field. And just very finally, before we move on, I wanted to point out that there are a lot of photos that I'm going to be using in this presentation which are from years gone by, and they're not always going to show people using the level of PPE that we expect nowadays.
So apologies if you spot people not wearing gloves, for example. Times were different back then, but we certainly expect our PPE guidelines to be strictly adhered to now. Before we dive into the seal pup scenario, I'd like to just give you a very brief introduction to the seals that we have here in the UK.
So we have two species in the UK, grey seals and common seals. Grey seals are the largest species, as you can see from the weights on the right side of the slide, with males much larger than females. They have a long dog-like snout, and they have their pups between around September and January each year.
Pups weigh 10 to 14 kg at birth and they are born with a white sort of fluffy coat which they keep until they wean at around 16 to 21 days old. By which time they weigh about 30 kg. Common seals are the smaller species with less sexual dimorphism.
They have a more cat-like face and have their pups in the summer between June and August. Pups weigh about 8 to 12 kg at birth, but don't have a white coat, as this is actually shared in utero. They're weaned around 21 to 30 days old and weigh upwards of 25 kg.
It's really important to note that neither species is taught how to forage by the mum. So when mum leaves, they're on their own and have to learn what to eat and how to eat it. This, as you can imagine, results in a significant post-weaning weight loss while they sort of figure everything out essentially and obviously makes it obvious why it's so important that they gain lots of weight initially when they are with mum.
These maps illustrate where the two species are typically found. So you can see what you might expect to find in your local area. I myself live in Cornwall, so I deal with predominantly grey seals and just the very occasional common.
Seals have lots of adaptations which help them to survive out in their natural habitat. As a species which spends a lot of time in the water, they need excellent thermoregulation, so they have an insulating blubber layer, a small surface area to volume ratio, and countercurrent heat exchange systems in their hind flippers. So this is where cold blood returning from the flipper is warmed by the blood entering it.
And all of this obviously helps to minimise heat loss. They are of course diving mammals and have some pretty cool adaptations that allow them to do that. For example, they are brilliant at storing and utilising their oxygen supplies.
They have large supplies of haemoglobin and myoglobin, a large blood volume, and during dives their heart rate drops and blood is diverted to essential organs, all to reduce oxygen consumption. Also, they will exhale before diving, which actually helps them to avoid getting decompression sickness. This happens because as they dive, the pressure on their bodies builds and the alveoli and the smaller airways will collapse, and this then forces residual air up into the dead space and hence no nitrogen exchange can actually happen.
Their eyesight is OK above and below water. Their sense of smell is very good, but it's their whiskers or their vibriae which are particularly sensitive and allow them to navigate and forage in murky waters when visibility is really poor. Seals unfortunately face many threats in today's world.
I've listed a few of the important ones here which are worth being aware of. So bycatch and entanglement in live or discarded fishing gear respectively is a huge problem for our seals and can leave them dead from drowning. Or with nets stuck around their body, usually their neck, which cuts into their soft tissues over time, resulting in serious wounds.
And as you can imagine, heaving around sometimes absolutely massive pieces of heavy net obviously makes it really hard for them to feed and just do what they need to do. They're also increasingly being disturbed by human activity, with more and more people moving to the coast and taking part in activities like kayaking and paddle boarding, for example. There are more opportunities for seals to be spooked and disturbed when resting on land.
This is serious because that time to rest and digest their food is really important to their health and wellbeing. There's also the risk of disturbing mother and pup pairs, which can result in the female leaving the pup. This leaves the pup vulnerable to starvation.
The photo on the right shows a young grey seal pup with a typical graze on its chin, which indicates it's been trying to suckle objects like rocks when separated from its mother. Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of our winter storms, so particularly for the grey seals who have their pups in the winter, this is really concerning. Storms can separate mother and pup pairs, as well as just resulting in pups being injured in the rough seas.
Like many other marine species, seals are at risk of marine pollutants which get into our waters. But this doesn't seem to be a major problem in the UK at this point. It is a serious issue in other, places around the world.
Every so often we see disease outbreaks, and one of the most serious that we've seen is phocine distemper virus, which we've seen outbreaks of in 1988 and 2002, which, unfortunately resulted in the deaths of thousands of common seals. People often ask why we uplift seal pups from beaches sometimes, and here are the main reasons why we have to do that. Maternal separation is the first, as we saw on the previous few slides.
Pups rely on their mother's milk to get them to a suitable weight so they can survive post weaning. Premature separation can essentially be, you know, a death sentence for these pups. We do have to monitor loan, white coat pups for a good period of time before interfering with them.
However, as we want to be completely sure that mum is no longer around before we step in and interfere. The three main other reasons for an uplift are malnutrition, illness or injury, but usually there are a combination of factors involved. You can see a very young grey seal on the left, which we would need to monitor before deciding to pick up.
It looks thin, but that's to be expected in very young pups because they haven't had enough time to gain much weight yet. In the middle is a weaned grey seal that looks very malnourished, and the seal on the right has a nasty wound from being entangled in a monofilament around its neck. So now we're gonna move on to look at how we carry out a physical assessment on these pups.
Let me introduce you to our patient who has just come in off the beach and the BDMLR medics have noted down their observations and concerns. So they've reported the pup seems lethargic, it's dry around its eyes. It has a bit of white coat left still.
Its temperature was 38.5 on the beach and the respiratory rate was 32/2 minutes. It has some yellow nasal discharge and minor injuries, and it weighs 16 kg.
We'll go through how to do a basic assessment and then come back to this pup so you can analyse this information in a bit more detail then. But first, a quick slide on health and safety, of course. Handling seal pups is a risky activity.
They are much stronger than they look, unpredictable, and have a nasty bite with some very sharp, strong teeth. So we absolutely want to avoid any accidents. The physical damage from the bite is bad enough, but they can also carry some zoonotic agents.
One is called seal finger, which is caused by a mycoplasma, but they also carry brucella, salmonella, and ox virus amongst other things. Sealinger in particular can be really serious, and any incidents where the skin is broken should really result in a trip to the doctor's ASAP er for a course of tetracycline antibiotics. Becoming a competent handler requires a lot of experience, and it's certainly not something I can teach you fully here.
However, the basic technique is to approach the pup from behind, place a towel over its neck and head, and then quickly straddle the pup with a knee each side of its body, being careful not to crush the front flippers, of course, and place your hands behind its head to gain some control. From there you can then pinch the towel edges together under its jaw to form a muzzle, as seen in this photo. And so this is typically what you'll see our medics doing.
To prevent accidents from happening, we advise using good handling techniques, wearing appropriate PPE, which is usually gloves and waterproofs and masks when the pup is very snotty, or of course in COVID times, and to avoid handling them altogether if you are pregnant or immunocompromised. I tend to break the physical exam down into components that you can assess from a distance before handling and those you need to assess when you're hands on. Obviously we want to minimise stress and handling times wherever we can.
And so now let's go through each of these in turn. We've already looked briefly earlier at how we can tell which species we're dealing with. As a reminder, greys have the longer, more dog-like faces and the commons have the shorter, more cat-like faces.
So in the bottom photos we have a grey pup on the left and a common on the right. In terms of ageing pups, greys are much easier than commons because of the white coat that they have initially. This can start to moult around 8 days old, and though it varies between pups, they will have mostly moulted by the time they are weaned at 16 to 21 days.
We don't have this, fantastic clue in commons, so we have to go off factors such as body length and the time of the season. And of course both species will have an umbilical remnant when they're born, so we can use this to age very young pups under around a week old. Ageing them really accurately is not a necessity, so don't get too worried about it.
But it is useful to know if you're dealing with a weaned pup or not. It's really critical to note what their body condition is like as well as weighing them. A normal, healthy, well-nourished pup should appear rounded and with taut skin, so no like rolls of skin.
Malnourished pups have an obvious neck and protruding hips, loose rolls of skin which haven't yet been filled with fat. And you'll find their head and front flippers look very large compared to the rest of their body. It's important to assess their demeanour and to do that you need to understand how a normal seal pup should behave.
So normal seal pups should be bright, alert, and usually feisty and resistant to handling. Where this might differ is in very young pups in their first few days after birth, when they can actually be quite placid and their mentation almost seems a bit dull. But essentially quiet and lethargic pups are usually a cause for concern.
I'll also mention body position here as this can give you a lot of clues as to how a seal is feeling. Normal seals will typically lie on their side, but sometimes on their back or front, but importantly, they normally have their head and neck tucked in against their body and lifted off the ground. You might also see their rear flippers folded in against each other, which is normal and used to conserve heat, as in the top photo here, which shows a normal lying position.
A worrying position is what I like to refer to as the aeroplane where they are lying on their front with the front flippers on the ground and their head and neck laying flat on the ground too. Unfortunately, I find pups like this are typically in a bad way, and need some urgent attention. You can see that position illustrated in the bottom photo here and as you can imagine just from looking at this photo, they're typically not very responsive.
And finally, just to note normal movements, most often they will undulate across the ground on their belly without using their front flippers at all. Other times they will use their front flippers, and sometimes they'll only use one. Very often we get calls from members of the public about a seal with an injured flipper, and although they definitely could have an injury, we find a lot of the time that they are absolutely fine and just choosing to move that way of their own accord.
Before handling, you can also assess their breathing. It's best to take a respiratory rate over 2 minutes, as they have an irregular breathing pattern where they take a few breaths in quick succession, followed by a breath hold. So it's best over 2 minutes just to get the most accurate measurement and a normal rate is between around 5 and 15 breaths per minute.
A continuous breathing pattern is actually abnormal for seals and should raise concerns of a potential respiratory problem. Obviously, you can also note very wet, roughly breathing, nasal discharge, coughing and sneezing, etc. As you would for other species.
And finally, you can assess their hydration fairly easily by looking at their eyes. Seals do not possess lacrimal ducts, so any tears produced simply spill out around their eyes and give a really helpful indicator of hydration. The pup on the left has large wet patches around its eyes, so it indicates good hydration compared to the pup on the right whose eyes are very dry and have sand stuck around them.
After capturing and safely restraining the pup, you can then begin the hands-on part of the assessment. I tend to advise taking the temperature first as this will start to rise quite rapidly from the stress of handling. The thermometer needs to be pushed in a couple of inches to get an accurate reading in seal pups, and the normal temperature is between 36.2 and 37.5 degrees C.
While you're there, you can also check the gender. If you lift the tail, you'll be only able to see an anus in males, as in the top photo here, whereas in females, you'll see the vulva just below the anus, as in the bottom photo. The pre-cutial opening in males is on their caudal ventrum, and normally is visible as a sort of, slightly tufty area of coat when they lie, on their backs.
Or indeed, of course, when they urinate. Next, you want to methodically work your way around the whole body looking for any signs of injuries. We really commonly see abrasions and puncture wounds and soft tissue swellings from bashing into rocks in rough seas, for example, or being bitten by other seals and occasionally dogs.
Infected wounds, particularly over joints, can be a real concern and lead to abscesses, cellulitis, and sometimes sepsis. We do occasionally see more serious wounds and fractures too. The top left photo shows a pup's front flipper gripping onto my hand as I examine it.
They all seem to do this except when they have a problem with the flipper. So I routinely check what their grip is like. I suppose it may also just give an indication of their overall sort of alertness as well.
The top right photo shows a clean puncture wound from a bite. The bottom left a very swollen right hind flipper. I'd have definite concerns about an infection and cellulitis there.
And bottom right is a pup again with an entanglement wound around its neck from a fishing line. This is a white coat with a nasty laceration on its side, and it had punctures around its neck too, so we think it had been attacked by an older seal. And another white coat with a bite this time on the right hock, and the hocks are a really common sight for bites.
You can see quite clearly how infected it is, and that there was a lot of necrotic tissue, which sloughed away. But the pup was bright and the wounds, did heal excellently over time with it eventually being released. So it's just definitely worth keeping in mind how great seals can be at healing wounds.
Make sure you have a listen to the heart and lungs. Their heart rate is usually going to be elevated just from the stress of handling, but a rate consistently over 120 beats per minute might prompt further investigation. We do occasionally see murmurs, usually they are low grade and associated with dehydration on admission, and normally resolve within a few days.
Listening to the lungs of a seal pup is similar to that of a dog, other than the irregular breathing pattern, and I tend to think the lung sounds are a little harsher in seals normally. Otherwise you're listening for the usual concerns such as crackles, wheezes, and areas of consolidation. Remember to check the umbilicus, particularly in very young pups for signs of infection such as a swelling, discharge, and heat.
Obviously an infection could lead to serious complications such as a peritonitis. You can see an umbilical remnant in this grey seal pup. It's still pink and fleshy, so the pup is probably only a couple of days old at most.
The cords then tend to turn grey and shrivel up over a few days, eventually turning black and falling off at around a week old. Examining the eyes can be quite difficult as they have really strong eyelids and can retract the globe too. So sometimes you do have to be patient and wait for them to open it on their own, or maybe to try and look from a distance after they've been released.
Corneal ulcers are really common, so I'd recommend routinely staining eyes with fluoresine. Occasionally we will see more severe issues such as melting ulcers and glow protrusion or collapse. It's also worth noting that release back to the world is possible after the removal of one, but not both eyes.
Make sure you look for any nasal discharge and note its character. A small amount of clear discharge is normal, but respiratory infections are common and normally present with the usual mucopurulent discharge like in this top photo. Blood coming from the mouth and nose can indicate a lung worm infection.
Ear infections are seen occasionally, so check for any discharge coming from the ears. And then do have a good look in the mouth if you can. Obviously this is a riskier part of the examination, so only do what you're confident doing.
Personally, I find a plastic tube like we use for giving oral fluids placed horizontally across the mouth can be really helpful and keep fingers out of the way. You're looking for any signs of damage to the teeth, soft tissue ulcerations, and mucous membrane colour and capillary re full time. Jaw fractures aren't uncommon, and the mandibular synthesis is often involved.
The bottom photo demonstrates how powerful their teeth are designed for grasping onto slippery fish underwater, so it's definitely not an animal that you want to bite from. This next photo on the left is a common seal with some really severe ulceration on the hard palate. This can be severe enough sometimes to lead to or a nasal fistula formation.
And finally, quite a dramatic example of the sorts of jaw fractures that we can see. This pup was found alive. It's deceased in the photo after being euthanized, and you can clearly see the severe mandibular tip fracture and the part of the bone which is literally just rotting away.
Thankfully, not many are found in this sort of condition, but it's testament to how strong and resilient these animals are, that this pup was found still alive and actually very feisty. In terms of the skin, we tend not to worry about patches of alopecia when we see them. It's very rare that anything is actually found which we can treat and the seals are typically otherwise normal.
Our main concern when it comes to the skin is checking for signs of something called sealpox. This is an extremely infectious parapox virus which spreads very easily, directly and indirectly. It presents after 3 to 5 weeks incubation with a pale granuloma formation, usually on the parts of the body, frequently in contact with the floor, like their belly.
It is self-limiting and clears within 12 weeks, only presenting a concern in immunocompromised pups, which can develop secondary bacterial infections that require antibiotic treatment. It's rare a pot will present straight after rescue with pox. Outbreaks are much more common in rehab centres, but if you do deal with the case, then excellent biosecurity is required and you should be aware that it is zoonotic, so PPE is very important.
The pup may have already been weighed by the medics on the beach, but it's good practise to double check their weight on your practises scales. The very general rule of thumb is that grey seal pups weighing less than 20 kg or commons less than 18 kgs should be considered for rehab based on their weight alone. However, there are exceptions to this, of course.
So for example, the photo on the right is a seal that I treated a few months ago. She actually weighed 27 kg at rescue but did certainly require treatment for a nasty infected wound over one of her hocks. And these two photos just illustrate quite nicely again the appearance of a malnourished pup versus a well-nourished one.
So to end on the glamorous topic of faeces, just to let you know what is normal in a seal. So most often their faeces are similar to a dog's in colour and consistency. This will differ in very young pups which have been on a milk diet, and their faeces can typically be softer and a more sort of yellowy colour.
Dark brown sticky faeces can indicate dehydration, but a dark colour generally can also indicate gastric issues such as parasite burdens and ulcerations. Diarrhoea is really common in rescued pups and can be due to a whole range of reasons, including worms again and infectious agents such as salmonella, herpes virus, and coccidia. But stress and the change of diet are often involved too.
So here we are back with the pup, which has just come into your practise off the beach. Now we've been through the basics of seal pup assessment, I'd like you to have a look at the questions on the right and try to answer them before watching the next webinar in the series. So what species do you think this is?
How old might it be? Is the respiratory rate and temperature normal? Is the weight OK?
And generally, what are your concerns, if any, for this pup? So that concludes this first webinar. Thank you very much for listening and I will speak to you in the next talk.

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