Q&A with Veterinary Health

Our Veterinary Health team is a key component to the care we will provide to these aquatic residents year-round. We recently conducted a Q&A with Dr. Kirk Suedmeyer, director of veterinary health & conservation research and boardcertified specialist in zoological medicine. He discussed how his team’s medical expertise continues to broaden with the arrival of so many new species.

How has the Veterinary Health team’s work expanded with the addition of the Aquarium?

We are receiving thousands of animals for the new Aquarium. All the animals go through quarantine when they arrive and are examined to make sure they are healthy and don’t pose risks to staff or other animals in the Aquarium. We have had to treat numerous fish for parasitic problems, which can affect other fish species in the same habitat. We spend hours evaluating numerous potential health risks.

How did you prepare for these additional animals?

We have been preparing for the past couple years, reviewing health issues of aquatic animals, meeting weekly with the Aquarium staff to program quarantine, health assessments, treatments, and results. We have also designed and equipped a veterinary suite within the Aquarium for day-to day-care, diagnostic evaluation, medical treatment, and surgery. Many discussions center around water quality – some species are exquisitely sensitive to changes in composition of the water which can lead to health issues.

What is it like to perform an exam on a sand tiger shark?

They were assessed via visual examination, review of dietary intake, previous history, etc. On the smaller sharks and stingrays, we anesthetize them and perform full exams, ultrasound, radiographs, blood sampling, microchip placement, eye exams, and laparoscopic exams of their gills and breathing structures. It is just a different approach to anesthesia and restraint.

Examinations of sharks, fish, and invertebrates present different challenges and logistics, but in general the procedures, testing, surgery, and treatments are the same as any other animals. Anesthesia is a bit different, but we can do the same surgeries on the aquatic animals as are done in domestic animals.

Are there any new aquatic residents that require a great deal more attention in terms of their care?

Yes, there are certain species that are inherently more susceptible to parasitic gill infections. Most fish carry parasites, but in an aquatic environment, those parasite numbers can exponentially grow, causing demise of the animal. We anesthetize and examine the fish within three days of arrival and if parasites are found, we treat all the fish in that quarantine habitat. In some instances, especially with warm water species, we treat the habitat at the outset, as populations of certain parasites in warm water can multiply extremely quickly!