{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,2]],"date-time":"2025-10-02T00:26:59Z","timestamp":1759364819119,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,1]],"date-time":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759276800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Vet. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Stranded Pacific harbor seal (HS, <jats:italic>Phoca vitulina richardii<\/jats:italic>) pups admitted to rehabilitation centers have a variety of health problems, including neurological disorders. However, the standard neurological examination protocol for land-based quadrupeds does not suit marine mammals such as seals. In this study we aimed to develop and establish a neurological examination protocol (NEx) for phocid seal pups undergoing rehabilitation. In two consecutive years, we assessed stranded HS pups (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f45; males <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f21, females <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f24) in care at The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC), Sausalito, California. The draft protocol developed in year 1 was refined to yield 33 tests, including many tests from domestic small animal examination, as well as novel tests dictated by the animals\u2019 functional anatomy. The latter included the sloping ramp to assess proprioception and motor function, the handstand (to assess neck reflexes), banana pose, and grasp reflex. A fish head was suspended above the subject to assess balance, strength, coordination, and cranial nerve function, including visual field. Specific tests were considered highly useful if they had a reliable outcome in \u2265 80% of cases. In some pups, temperament made it challenging to discern the outcomes of some tests. The reliability of the 33 tests was assessed during repeated examinations on 17 animals; 26\/33 tests yielded a reliable response in \u2265 80% of the exams. Three pups (L, P, and N) with suspected neurological deficits were assessed using the protocol. The NEx accurately predicted the neuroanatomical lesion localization, as confirmed by imaging and\/or necropsy results. The neurological examination protocol developed for HS pups takes 9\u201312\u202fmin to perform. Although this protocol was developed in HS pups, it should be adaptable for other phocids.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2025.1656366","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,1]],"date-time":"2025-10-01T04:17:27Z","timestamp":1759292247000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Neurological examination of Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii) pups: development and assessment of a protocol"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Christine E.","family":"Thomson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Cara L.","family":"Field","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sophie T.","family":"Whoriskey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Abby M.","family":"McClain","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"P\u00e1draig J.","family":"Duignan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"J. Margaret","family":"Castellini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marianne","family":"Lian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kris T.","family":"Kruse-Elliott","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sophie","family":"Dennison","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Todd M.","family":"O\u2019Hara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","volume-title":"Veterinary neuroanatomy and clinical neurology","author":"De Lahunta","year":"2009"},{"key":"ref2","volume-title":"Large animal neurology","author":"Mayhew","year":"2009"},{"key":"ref3","article-title":"The neurological examination","volume-title":"Bsava manual of canine and feline neurology","author":"Garosi","year":"2010"},{"key":"ref4","article-title":"Neurological examination of small animals","volume-title":"Small animal neurology","author":"Jaggy","year":"2010"},{"key":"ref5","volume-title":"Handbook of veterinary neurology","author":"Lorenz","year":"2011"},{"key":"ref6","volume-title":"Veterinary neuroanatomy: a clinical approach","author":"Thomson","year":"2012"},{"key":"ref7","volume-title":"Practical guide to canine and feline neurology","author":"Dewey","year":"2017"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"34","DOI":"10.1053\/j.jepm.2014.12.005","article-title":"Neurological examination and diagnostic testing in birds and reptiles","volume":"24","author":"Hunt","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Exotic Pet Med"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"629","DOI":"10.1177\/0023677217698000","article-title":"Neurological examination in healthy chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera)","volume":"51","author":"Snow","year":"2017","journal-title":"Lab Anim"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"52","DOI":"10.1053\/j.jepm.2014.12.006","article-title":"Neurologic examination and diagnostic testing in rabbits, ferrets, and rodents","volume":"24","author":"Mancinelli","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Exotic Pet Med"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"731","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cvex.2007.05.003","article-title":"The neurological examination and lesion localization in the companion rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)","volume":"10","author":"Vernau","year":"2007","journal-title":"Vet Clin Exotic Anim Pract"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1053\/j.jepm.2018.01.010","article-title":"Results of a modified neurological examination in 26 healthy rabbits","volume":"30","author":"Warnefors","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Exotic Pet Med"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"803","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cvex.2007.04.006","article-title":"The avian neurologic examination and ancillary neurodiagnostic techniques: a review update","volume":"10","author":"Clippinger","year":"2007","journal-title":"Vet Clin Exotic Anim Pract"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2020.143686","article-title":"Assessment of clinical outcomes associated with mercury concentrations in harbor seal pups (Phoca vitulina richardii) in Central California","volume":"758","author":"Lian","year":"2021","journal-title":"Sci Total Environ"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1578\/AM.31.1.2005.1","article-title":"Causes of live strandings of northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) and Pacific Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) along the Central California coast, 1992-2001","volume":"31","author":"Colegrove","year":"2005","journal-title":"Aquat Mamm"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1024","DOI":"10.2460\/javma.1986.189.09.1024","article-title":"Survival versus nonsurvival determinants for neonatal harbor seals","volume":"189","author":"Dierauf","year":"1986","journal-title":"J Am Vet Med Assoc"},{"key":"ref17","volume-title":"King's applied anatomy of the central nervous system of domestic mammamls","author":"Skerritt","year":"2018"},{"key":"ref18","volume-title":"Understanding balance. 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