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Geriatric care is a little talked about but essential part of care for our pinnipeds. Sea lions and seals enter this period of their lives in their late twenties, and just like humans their geriatric years require special care and evaluation.
Specific geriatric care for our pinnipeds vary, depending on the individual animal’s needs. Past practices for geriatric care arthritis and cataracts have included treatments like acupuncture, physical therapy, laser therapy, and chiropractic care. Daily physical therapy includes activities like encouraging unusual swim patterns, muscle massages, and rotation of flippers to improve range of motion. Laser therapy primarily requires an animal to be able to lie still for a duration of time while a trained veterinary technician applies treatment. Laser therapy aids in not only arthritic care, but also in the case of injuries. Chiropractic care is delivered by a specialist from Willamette Veterinary Hospital, and is utilized for a variety of our pinnipeds.
As for harbor seals, we currently have four receiving geriatric care. Miller and Elvis have begun to show signs of cataracts and slowing down that is associated with old age. Skinny is our oldest harbor seal–born in 1975 and is one of the oldest in the world–and shows no signs of arthritis. She does have some vision loss due to cataracts, however, it’s amazing how well she is aging.
