Fish Breath of the Day: An Asthmatic Sea Otter Has Learned to Use an Inhaler

Poor Mishka the otter couldn't breathe after smoke from Washington State wildfires made its way over the mountains and into the Seattle Aquarium.

Luckily, a staff veterinarian noticed Mishka's problem, ran some tests and determined that the otter needed her own inhaler.

ABC details the successful treatment:

Now Seattle Aquarium biologist Sara Perry is working with Mishka to get her comfortable with using her inhaler. Like other training maneuvers, Perry uses food to try and entice Mishka to learn to use the inhaler, filled with the same medication used to treat humans with asthma.

...The aquarium said they are unsure why Mishka developed the condition, which is more common in humans, but speculated that it may be due to reduced genetic diversity in the population since they were nearly wiped out in the early 1900's and had to be repopulated with otters from Alaska.

For maximum adorbage, watch this video that provides more information and shows little Mishka taking her medicine.



Poor little thing, even the otters are being affected by the rash of Western America wild fires.