Abstract
Health concerns of manatees are generally associated with environmental issues leading to a need for medical care or related to management concerns. Watercraft injuries causing both blunt force and sharp trauma are frequently encountered in manatee rehabilitation settings.1 Sharp traumatic injuries can result from propeller wounds and hook/line-induced lacerations and partial or complete amputations. Treatment includes supportive care, topical wound management, systemic antimicrobials, and analgesics as indicated. Common blunt-force traumatic wounds include rib and spinal fractures, pneumothorax, pyothorax, hemothorax, and hemoabdomen.2 Rib fractures are not typically repaired but allowed to heal while supportive care and analgesia are provided. Pneumothorax may require repetitive thoracocentesis or may be managed conservatively with or without floatation devices, depending on the severity. Entanglement in marine debris is commonly seen. Minor entanglements may require removal of debris without further treatment while more severe entanglements may need to be treated. Manatees and dugongs exposed to water temperatures below 20°C (68°F) become susceptible to cold-stress syndrome,3,4,5 a systemic disease process with multiple sequelae including emaciation, lymphoid depletion, immunosuppression, dermatopathies, enterocolitis, myocardial degeneration, and septicemia.4 Thromboembolic disturbance is a probable component in this complex pathophysiologic syndrome.6 Treatment focuses on supportive care, treating underlying infections, and correcting metabolic disturbances. Brevetoxicosis can result in neurologic disease and respiratory or gastrointestinal illness in manatees.3,7,8 The mainstays of treatment are prevention of drowning and supportive care, including fluid-therapy, anti-inflammatories, parenteral antibiotics, and atropine.3,7 Gastrointestinal disturbances such as foreign body consumption, constipation, and anorexia are not uncommon in adult manatees. Treatment includes hydration and nutritional support, GI support medications, and secondary antibiotics as indicated. Infectious and parasitic diseases are generally uncommon in manatees, but those most commonly described include manatee papilloma virus and toxoplasmosis.
The most common diseases of orphan manatee calves include hypoglycemia and dehydration, gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, and, occasionally, septicemia. Hypoglycemia and dehydration are typically corrected within the first few days of presentation to a rehabilitation facility. Gastrointestinal disorders, including diarrhea, constipation, partial or complete anorexia, GI inflammation and hemorrhage can develop shortly after introduction to artificial milk formulas.9 A severe and often fatal complication, pneumatosis intestinalis, can be treated successfully with oral antimicrobials, GI protectants, and diet changes.9,10 Recent changes in artificial milk formulas have resulted in fewer GI complications and more successful hand-rearing of calves.9
Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank Jim Valade, the SeaWorld Orlando Animal Rescue and Veterinary Services teams, and Drs. Michael Walsh, Martine de Wit, Judy St. Leger, Stacy DiRocco, Lara Croft, Claire Erlacher-Reid and Ray Ball.
* Presenting author
Literature Cited
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