Have you had your annual physical this year? Our dolphins and sea lions have too! At Atlantis’ Dolphin Cay, we have a full-time veterinary team that cares for our marine life, from turtles, rays and sharks to critically endangered species like smalltooth sawfish. Take a walk with our lead veterinarian as she makes her daily rounds.
Amanda Pinder, DVM, affectionately known as “Dr. Amanda,” first pops in on Karaya and Zemi, two young California Sea Lion pups born in 2021.
In talking with the animal behaviorists who care for them each day, Dr. Amanda learns the pups have good appetites and are interacting well with their mothers and other sea lions – signs of healthy, thriving animals.
After the pups, it’s on to give Makai, a bottlenose dolphin, his regular six-month physical.
With a stethoscope, she listens to his heart and lungs and takes blood, gastric and fecal samples.
She also does an ultrasound of his chest, which can help the team spot any early issues with his respiratory track.
Digital x-rays and samples are processed at Dolphin Cay in our on-site laboratory.
If anything, unusual is spotted, an on-call veterinary pathologist gives the results a second read, usually within two hours.
Dr. Amanda also works with the marine mammal diagnostic lab at the University of Georgia and the clinical staff in the Aquatic Animal Health Department at the University of Florida.
“The veterinary community is a really generous one,” Dr. Amanda says. “We’re scientists and researchers and vets, and we all have one thing in common: we put the animals first.”
One specialist Dr. Amanda turns to frequently: a veterinary nutritionist who helps the team curate nutrient-dense meals designed specifically for their species.
Fish is selected for its nutrient content and each animal gets a daily multivitamin formula.
When an animal needs a special boost, let’s say a lactating mother who needs extra calcium, her diet is adjusted to keep her and her calf healthy.
Nutritional guidance becomes even more important when caring for a rescued animal.
Dolphin Cay is world-renowned for its work to rescue stranded and sick animals in The Bahamas, then rehabilitate them back to health. With the nutritionist’s help, Dr. Amanda and her team can customize an individual treatment plan based on the animal’s specific type of injury or illness.
“It’s so rewarding to help an animal regain its strength, eat on its own, become more social and just get healthy again. There’s no greater accomplishment.”