Malnourished And Dehydrated California Sea Lion

The following story about a California sea lion was shared with us by the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles.

On April 22, 2022, Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles received a small California sea lion. She only weighed 11.0 kilograms (about 24.2 pounds). She was severely malnourished and dehydrated. She had small wounds on her flippers and abdomen.

During her admission exam she was given an oral solution of EmerAid IC Piscivore through gavage feeding. EmerAid IC Piscivore is MMCCLA hospital’s standard for initial nutritional supplementation. It provides easy-to-digest nutrients, which is important for animals who have gone through a period of starvation.

The sea lion was kept on the EmerAid for her first few feedings; surprisingly, she started eating fish on the same day. Her wounds were superficial and healed quickly. She continued to eat well and put on weight.

She was released on July 7, 2022, weighing 34.4 kilograms (about 75.8 pounds).