International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

worldwide openly share these records. Many other handrearing records are also needed to
increase overall knowledge. See Chapter 1 Sections 4-5 for more details and where to submit
your documentation.
Consistent cub care should be provided by the coordination of handrearer methods and
communications among handrearers. The number of involved handrearers should be kept to a
minimum.
Section 2
Electrolyte/Glucose Solutions (For health problems & for diet changes during health
problems); Emergency Medical Care & Abnormal Body Temperatures
Electrolyte solutions, for general use, can help rehydrate and provide quick temporary energy to
cubs in need (Merck 1986). (Some electrolyte solutions are specialized for specific health
problems and these are inappropriate/dangerous to use, except for what they are directly
intended for.) A veterinarian should examine unhealthy cubs to determine what course of
treatment is appropriate for the cubs. Dependent on the existence of other health complications,
electrolyte solutions (for general use) can sometimes be given when cubs have diarrhea (esp.
when severe) and when cubs are dehydrated, very sick or weak, underweight, emaciated, or are
too sick/refuse to eat formula foods. In the aforementioned cases, electrolyte solutions for
general use can also be provided when cubs are switched from mother’s milk to an artificial
milk replacer or are switched from one artificial milk replacer to another. Replacer formulas
can be diluted with it or/and it can be offered in its full capacity in-between total diet switchovers.
(Healthy cubs should be introduced to new formulas by offering only water or 5%
glucose in water for the first feed and then by offering new formulas diluted with straight water
for at least the next several feeds. See Section 7.) Electrolyte solutions are only to be used as a
temporary supplement/medical treatment and depending on the situation, can be administered
alone or in addition to formula foods. The water used for feeding should be boiled and cooled
to very warm/hot before mixing electrolyte powders/liquids in. These formulas should be kept
refrigerated and solutions (i.e. only the portion that is to be fed/injected) should be warmed to
blood heat before administration.
Critical: cubs must be conscious, responsive, well hydrated, not be actively vomiting and
have normal body temperatures before formula/foods are fed (see below and Section 3).
Some electrolyte solutions can be administered orally (bottle or tube fed) and some can only be
injected subcutaneously or intravenously. As well, in some health conditions electrolytes can
only be administered by injection (see below). When cubs are too weak or sick to nurse or
swallow and they have a normal body temperature, some electrolyte solutions for general use
can be tube feed, only when cubs are fully conscious, or injected by vets or experienced
handrearers.
A commercially prepared balanced electrolyte solution for oral administration for animals can
be purchased at vet hospitals or at some pet stores. It should contain a well-balanced mixture of
electrolytes, amino acids, and glucose and be able to be used for general use. Some
electrolytes/rehydrating formulas that are commercially prepared for human babies and that
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