Otter this world healthcare
9 April 2026
Our wonderful giant otters, Alex and Fia, have been with us for nine months now and have settled in exceptionally well.
As Alex is now 13 and entering her geriatric years, we recently gave her a comprehensive health check. The biggest challenge with this of course, was how to safely transport an otter to the veterinary clinic. At almost 6ft long and weighing in at 20kg, this was not an easy task!
To help facilitate this transport, we began a training programme with Alex to get her to voluntarily enter a specially designed transport crate that was carefully sized to accommodate her length.
Our training mainly focused on building Alex's confidence in entering the crate, with the sliding door only closed on the day of her health check. Because of her considerable size, each training session required two keepers, with one positioned at the head end and the other managing the slide.
Alex quickly learned to touch a target, enabling us to introduce the crate and gradually encourage her to walk fully through it by increasing the target distance step by step. The final stage involved ensuring she remained calm with just one side open, as well as training her to either reverse out of the crate or turn around comfortably inside it.
On the day of her health check, our amazing vet team administered an anaesthetic via a low-pressure dart at close range, with Alex remaining calm throughout. The team then closely monitored her as the sedation took effect. Once Alex was safely anaesthetised, the crate was carefully transferred into the van, and she was transported to the vet centre for her examination.
Once at the vets, the real work began. The team carried out a comprehensive health assessment, including blood sampling, x-rays, and a dental examination. We also performed a thorough scale and polish to remove tartar build-up, and the team were also able to closely examine Alex’s hind feet (a difficult task when conscious).
Once ready for recovery, the vet team administered the anaesthetic reversal, and we transported Alex back to her enclosure. She remained drowsy for a couple of hours as the effects gradually wore off.
During this time, Fia was given the opportunity to see her mother, helping to reassure her that Alex had safely returned. By the end of the day, Alex was fully reunited with Fia and enjoyed a well-earned trout.
A fantastic team effort by everyone involved.