Flake, a common seal pup, was spotted on the shore near an outdoor education centre in Oban. The sanctuary was called out and Flake was promptly brought back to the isolation unit at the nursery. On arrival, she weighed 15.7kg and was approximately nine months old.
Flake was examined and found to be underweight with a severe load of gut and lungworm. Often common pups that arrive in to the nursery at this time of the year are infested with worms. Flake was immediately started on a worming treatment that will gradually rid her of the parasites. This was combined with a steroid to help her body combat the inflammation as a result of the worms dying off. Finally a course of antibiotics will prevent infection developing where the worms have become detached from the stomach, lung and gut lining, and any other infection that might arrive.
Flake is currently in the isolation area while she is undergoing treatment, but she is becoming progressively brighter and is already showing lots of interest in fish left on the bottom of the pen. She should feed well as she already has been fending for herself in the wild and catching food for herself.
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