North American River Otter Recovers From Fractured Thigh

The following story was shared with us by Clinic For The Rehabilitation Of Wildlife (CROW) in Florida.

A juvenile, male North American river otter was hit by a car in Port Charlotte, Florida, on February 7. On presentation the otter was hyperthermic, panting, and had mild dyspnea. Radiographs were taken and revealed a left, closed, short oblique femoral fracture with the distal segment caudally and proximally displaced.

The otter had a body condition score of 2/5 and weighed 6.35 kilograms (about 14 pounds) on arrival. The otter’s blood pressure, temperature, and neurologic status were not stable at the time of admission.

We provided nutritional support using EmerAid Intensive Care Carnivore. Once stable, surgery was performed to fix the femoral fracture; a second surgery was needed to further stabilize the site.

Seven and a half weeks after the second surgery, the otter was active outside and eating live fish. Upon release, the otter was looking healthier and more active, especially when hunting. The otter gained approximately 1.2 kilograms (about 2.6 pounds) and had a body condition score of 3.5/5 after a 105-day stay.