Care of Oiled Otters

Care of Oiled Otters

Sea otters have a unique thermal physiology that makes them particularly vulnerable to hypothermia in an oil spill.  Luckily, there has been extensive research on the best way to wash and care for these animals should they become oiled.  Here you will find the most extensive and growing resource on the best practices for caring for oiled sea otters.

Subcategories

Oiled Otters 101

Oiled Otters 101

Looking for up-to-date best practices for washing procedures?  Here you will find images and video about what research shows to be the best techniques and husbandry procedures for caring for oiled sea otters.

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Capture & Intake

Capture & Intake

Sea otters can be difficult to capture and must be carefully cared for upon intake.  What are the best techniques for safely capturing and handling injured or oiled sea otters? 

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Husbandry

Husbandry

What are the safest procedures for restraining sea otters for blood draws or examination?  How should their food be properly handled and prepared?  This is the place to find out best husbandry practices for sea otters.

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Veterinary Care

Veterinary Care

Here you will find tips, tricks, and best practices for working with sea otters.  Whether you are veterinary student or practicing veterinarian, sea otter care can be tricky.  Learn more about standard procedures that have been developed by experienced marine mammal veterinarians.

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Release & Monitoring

Release & Monitoring

After sea otters have been rehabilitated, whether they were brought in because of oil or due to illness or injury, healthy sea otters get released back into the ocean where they can contribute to the growth of the population. What are the health criteria for release of rehabilitated sea otters? Where do otters get released? Here you will find information about how, where, and when sea otters get returned to the ocean after they have been rehabilitated.

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