Mishka is the first sea otter to be diagnosed with asthma
Not only is Mishka the first sea otter to be diagnosed with asthma, she's the first sea otter to learn to use an inhaler! From the
Seattle Aquarium:
Mishka began having trouble breathing when smoke from the Eastern Washington wildfires moved into the Puget Sound area last month. Our staff veterinarian, Dr. Lesanna Lahner, made the diagnosis of asthma based on Mishka’s clinical signs of having difficulty breathing, blood work, radiographs, and actually listening to her chest just like an M.D. would listen a child’s lungs to help diagnose asthma.
Now Mishka is learning to use an inhaler, just like humans do, to receive medication that will help her breathe better. (In fact, even her medication is the same as that used by humans with asthma!) Aquarium biologist Sara Perry uses food to train Mishka to push her nose on the inhaler and take a breath. “We try to make it as fun as possible,” she says. “Anytime you’re training a medical behavior, you want to make it nice and positive.” Mishka is responding well to the training—she’s a quick study, especially when food is involved!
Seattle Aquarium veterinarians believe she'll have to use an inhaler for the rest of her life. Watch Mishka learning to use the inhaler in these short videos: