Comments on Husbandry of a Killer Whale Calf
IAAAM 1977
Jay C. Sweeney, VMD; Rita G. Harper, MD
Veterinary Consultants Service, San Diego, CA
Notes
- Normal values for postpartum pH and blood gases of the newborn killer whale are needed.
- Metabolic acidosis is first compensated by using up HCO3-. By the time respiratory compensation is needed to blow off CO2, the animal is usually terminal.
- How long can a newborn go without food? Human babies with no nourishment live 18-20 days. A cetacean could probably live 14 days.
- Evidence of suckling - feces is yellow. If not suckling, feces tend to be green and contain mucous.
- A non-suckled female will not dry up for weeks postpartum.
- Newborns have a high white blood cell count with many segmented neutrophils when less than 2 weeks of age.
- Newborns normally have a low total protein.
- Killer whales have a poor white blood cell response to disease. Cetaceans do not have a splenic reservoir of leukocytes so they don't show an elevated leukon on stress as seals do.
- Starving babies should be started on D5W, then slowly worked up to a higher calorie diet.
Gradually get them onto formula by starting with 5%, then 10%, then 25% and up to 50% formula and so on.
H20
|
|
Protein
|
Fat
|
CHO
|
KCal/L
|
Standard Seal Formula
|
75.3
|
7.75
|
15.2
|
0.86
|
1690
|
Killer Whale Infant
|
74.5
|
9.2
|
14.8
|
0.92
|
1710
|