RSPCA Friends of West Hatch Newsletter | Issue 16 RSPCA-Newsletter-SummerAutumn-2019-online | Page 13

A FLippin' amazing
recovery
Yak was brought into West Hatch in March
by members of the British Divers Marine
Life Rescue who had picked him up on a
beach near St Ives following a period of
stormy weather.
Like many of the Grey Seal pups that we
admit, Yak had injuries to his flippers and
was suffering from respiratory disease;
neither of these problems are conducive to
performing the amazing diving feats which
seals must perform in search of food, and as
a result, Yak was dehydrated and very thin.
Two nails, one on each fore flipper, were
injured to the extent that they would require
removal, along with the bones to which they
were attached, which were also damaged
and infected. This would involve giving Yak
a general anaesthetic, the risk of which is
increased in seals due to the possibility
of their ‘dive response’ kicking in, during
which their heart rate can drop to as low as
5% of normal, as a means of lowering their
oxygen consumption when under water for
prolonged periods. (A Grey Seal can hold
its breath for up to 30 minutes, while the
Southern Elephant Seal can dive for up to
two hours!). It was therefore important that
we stabilised Yak first, rehydrating him with
oral fluids by stomach tube and commencing
a course of antibiotics, pain relief and
lungworm treatment.
In case the procedure wasn’t stressful
enough for the veterinary team, it was
decided to film Yak’s operation for a CBBC
programme – The Pets Factor. The presenter
of the programme is also a vet, so we were
able to halve the surgery time by operating
on both fore flippers simultaneously. Seals
use their fore flippers for manoeuvring,
while the hind end provides the propulsion,
so it was important not to damage the
outline of the flippers during the procedure.
The operation went well, and Yak is currently
gaining weight and fitness with the other
seals in our new seal pool. Unfortunately, he
managed to damage his whiskers, perhaps
as a result of his habit of holding a fish in his
mouth, then running his flippers down each
side of his face to break the fish into two
bite size pieces, when he was first admitted.
Seals’ whiskers are vital for finding their food
in murky water so we are waiting for him
to grow new ones before finally letting him
go. (A seal can use its whiskers, with their
300,000 sensory nerves, to pick up the trail
a fish has left in the water when it is already
180 metres away!) Be sure to watch out for
Yak if you are walking around the coast of
Devon and Cornwall – or watching The
Pets Factor!
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