When northern fur seal Reina was found stranded on the beach, it was clear that something was very wrong. You see, these animals spend almost all of their time in the open ocean, only coming ashore to breed or if they are sick. Reina was rescued and transported to our hospital, where our animal care experts could see that she was starving and suffering from the effects of domoic acid, a potentially deadly neurotoxin. This toxin can also affect humans who eat contaminated shellfish, though marine mammals are often the first to be impacted. Luckily for Reina, she received life-saving care before any significant damage was done. Our veterinarians were able to flush the toxin from her system by giving her fluids and fish free of domoic acid. After about a month of care, Reina was granted a clean bill of health and returned to her ocean home.  

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