The Marine Mammal Stranding Center's first patient of the season continues to receive intensive critical care.
The male juvenile Harp seal was found Jan. 27 on a jetty on Bradley Beach, where he was suffering from a large open wound on his abdomen, the center wrote on its Facebook page.
The seal was lethargic, with blood and foam visible around his mouth, and was immediately transported to the center in Brigantine for treatment.
The team cleaned his wound, which was discovered to be an older injury.
They then fed him a mixture of formula and electrolytes via feeding tube. That's when it was discovered he had lungworm, parasitic roundworms that infest the lungs and respiratory passages, which caused a respiratory infection.
When the seal first arrived Jan. 27.He started eating on his own last weekend, but his appetite has not been consistent, so the stranding technicians have been assisting with feedings as needed.
The seal still is battling an incredibly high parasite load in his lungs.
"If you have ever had a severe cough before, then you can imagine just how tired this little seal must be feeling as he recovers," the center wrote in a Facebook update.
The veterinary team is monitoring him closely for pneumonia, which is a serious complication of lungworm infestations.
The open wound on his belly is beginning to improve with treatment. He also is being treated for a seal lice infestation.
He remains in guarded condition, with a more clear prognosis expected in the coming days.
The center's Sea Life Museum is open to the public on Saturdays only from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. I was closed Feb. 7 due to the icy conditions.
Meanwhile, a Harp seal found in Barnegat Light only had to stay overnight to be ready to return to the wild. He also was the first seal capture for Seasonal Stranding Technician Catie who has been with the center for more than a year.
