Monitoring of animals at The Marine Mammal Center starts when
an animal is rescued and continues until it is released. Volunteers
will often monitor an animal on the beach for one to forty-eight
hours before rescuing it and bringing it to The Center. This
confirms that the animal is actually in need of rescue and is
not simply resting. Once the animal is admitted to our hospital,
monitoring continues. Both volunteers and veterinary staff monitor
the animals. However, because volunteers work with the individual
animals on a day-to-day basis, they are often the ones who will
spot unusual behavior that may be indicative of a problem.
Monitoring of the animals while they are in our hospital
can take several forms. When an animal is first admitted to
The Center it undergoes a complete physical. This involves
taking blood samples, measuring the animal's length, listening
to its lungs, assessing body condition, hydration status,
any wounds or other injures, and weighing and tagging the
animal. The blood is sent to our on-site lab for analysis
and then our veterinarians develop a treatment protocol specific
to each animal.
During their stay at The Center, animals are weighed once
or twice a week. Regular weight monitoring is important for
several reasons. First, it ensures that the animal is eating
adequately. Second, weight is used to determine the patient's
dosage of medication and correct amount of food.
In addition, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly re-check physicals
are performed to ensure the patient is progressing properly.
The frequency of a re-check physical depends on the health
of the animal, and the severity of its problems.
Before release, all animals must undergo a release physical.
The release physical is designed to confirm that the reason
for the animals admit has been resolved and that the animal
is ready for release back to the wild. The release physical
is similar to an admit physical and involves taking blood,
listening to the lungs, getting a weight and length measurement,
and ensuring that the animal is free-feeding (that is eating
fish on its own).
Even after release, monitoring may continue. All released
pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) are fitted with a small, plastic
tag for future identification. Some animals are outfitted
with either radio or satellite transmitters, which allow us
to monitor their movements over an extended period of time.
For more information on monitoring animals after release refer
to our
tracking: where
are they now page.
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Monitoring
of Animals