Intraperitoneal Dextrose Administration As An Alternative Emergency Treatment for Hypoglycemic Yearling California Sea Lions (Zalophus Californianus)

Abstract The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC) cares for malnourished California sea lion (CSL) (Zalophus californianus) pups and yearlings every year. Hypoglycemia is a common consequence of malnutrition in young CSLs. Administering dextrose during a hypoglycemic crisis is vital to recovery. Traditional veterinary approaches to treat hypoglycemia pose therapeutic challenges in otariids, as vascular access and catheter maintenance can be difficult. The current approach to a hypoglycemic episode at TMMC is to administer dextrose intravenously (IV) by medically trained personnel. Intraperitoneal (IP) dextrose administration is an attractive alternative to IV administration because volunteer staff with basic training can administer treatment instead of waiting for trained staff to treat. This study compares the effects of IV, IP, and no dextrose administration on serum glucose and insulin in clinically healthy, euglycemic CSL yearlings. Three groups of animals, consisting of five sea lions each, were treated with ...