Abstract

Guidelines for the veterinary treatment and husbandry of stranded harbour porpoises are presented. The paper draws on experiences gained during the rehabilitation of harbour porpoises over a period of 25 years at the Harderwijk Marine Mammal Park in the Netherlands. Subjects covered, in order, are:

 Stranding and transport (possible causes of stranding, first aid on the coasts, transport to the rehabilitation facility, health on arrival, sexing and aging),

 Immediate veterinary care (rehydration, vaccination),

 Husbandry (intensive care pools, swimming, herding, food, noise, trained behaviour, behavioural enrichment, reproduction, labour-intensity),

 Potential health problems (skin, eyes, respiratory tract, digestive tract, foreign bodies in the digestive tract, parasites),

 Diagnostics (body weight and measurements, dorsal fin, rectal temperature, blood parameters),

Reintroduction into the wild,

 Conclusions.