Pics of the pups

Here are some lovely photos of the girls taken by our local GP, Dr Hercules Robinson. Dr and Mrs Robinson have become regular visitors to the hospital and here is a sample of his fantastic photography.

Pup update 25th of August

Update on seal pups Jules and Freddy

Freddy and Jules have spent the last couple of weeks learning to feed for themselves.
Freddy had picked it up quickest but was still ripping the fish rather than eating them whole. This meant the week previously Freddy only put on around 1 kilo while Jules put on around 300 grams. Nothing unusual while they learn. We noticed Jules eating better last weekend and Monday's (17 August) weight came in at: Jules - 14.2 kg and Freddy 16.2 kg. They were eating much better over the next few days, with there being less and less ripped fish in the pen. We were feeding them from outside the pen and then leaving them alone to feed as Jules would sit at the front waiting to be hand fed. While they were ripping some apart, they soon were going straight for the fish when thrown in the pen.
This was borne out by there weights on Friday (21 August) just four days later as Freddy had put on over a kilo (17.5) about normal gain, but Jules was an amazing 17.2 kg! She had put on 3 kilos in four days and because they are so active and swimming all day it seems a healthy gain as she isn't looking overly fat, rather she has grown, as they both have length ways and both look very healthy.
We are moving them in the morning to the larger pen for a few days until we make sure Freddy is getting enough away from the greedy Jules and then it will be out to the pool.

Thank you

We would like to thank everyone for there support in the last year, as it was very stressful time for Jamie and myself.

My kidneys failed in May 2007 and had been on dialysis for a year, i am one of the few lucky people who had the option of a living donation from my Dad.The surgery was planned for the 30th of July 2008.As you can imagine this was a very stressful time for all involved. The surgery went very well for both my Dad and myself, and i now can lead a normal life.

Jamie proposed when i came out of theatre and we got married on the 2nd of May this year.

So we would just like to say thank you a few special people....

Marjory and Ian Greig (heather's parents) and all the family

Jenni and Paul Laird

James Barnett BDMLR Vet

Sue,Trevor and Alan at BDMLR Head Office

Ian and everyone at IFAW

Tracey, Jim, Jane, Kelly and all the medics who volunteer there time to BDMLR.

first common pups of the season 1st July

Jules

Freddy

The first rescued seal pups of the season has been brought in to the hospital.
The first pup was found on a busy beach near a caravan park in the Dornoch Firth. A marine mammal medic from British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) responded to a call from the coastguard and went out to check on her and he was soon joined by an SSPCA officer. After sending images by mobile phone to the seal hospital to assess her condition it was agreed that she should be brought in.
The pup was driven two hours north to the seal unit where a pen had already been prepared for her. On arrival she was weighed at 8 kilos and put in a pen to cool down as it had been a very warm trip.
The initial vet check revealed that the pup was a female common or harbour seal of about two days old bearing signs that the umbilical cord had only recently been detached. She had no obvious injuries but was slightly dehydrated and her stomach was empty. Her teeth were just starting to come through at the front of her mouth.
The pup has been christened Freddy after Fred O'Regan, President of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The group has contributed generously to the setting up and running costs of the seal rehabilitation unit.
Alan Knight, Chairman of BDMLR, said: "This little seal is likely to be the first of a number of stranded or abandoned pups that need our help in the coming weeks and months. If it wasn’t for IFAW's support for the rehabilitation unit, we wouldn't be able to rescue these animals in distress and give them the care they need before returning them to the wild."
There has been a sharp decline in the number of harbour seals around the British coastline. Between 2000 and 2007 the number found around the coast of Scotland and England declined by 56 per cent from 36,345 to 23,277.
The decline gives serious cause for concern: the harbour seal is protected under the EU Habitats directive and Scotland and the UK has a special responsibility to protect it. As one of the UK's most popular marine mammals, the harbour seal is a great tourist attraction – a source of revenue that parts of Scotland are depending on more and more.
A second pup was brought into the unit on the same night that Freddy was admitted. It was also a female a few days older but much thinner and suffering from an eye infection.She was named Jules. Once the blood test and the eye infection are clear both pups will be put together in one pen which will assist with their mental and physical development.

Pickle's release Easter monday

Pickle's rehabilitation had been very problematic.He had difficulty in learning to feed for himself,and a few health problems along the way.
To say his release was emotional may be a slight understatement.All the volunteers involved in his rehab agree that Pickle has a huge personality for a little common seal and we all enjoyed his release immensely.
It was also the end of a very long season fraught with difficulties so we all needed a rest.