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Tissue distribution and plasma activity values of creatine kinase (CK), aldolase (ALS), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) were determined in 6 ringed seals, Phoca hispida, and in 7 harp seals, P groenlandica. Muscle tissues had the highest activity of CK and ALS, though high activity of ALS was also in most other tissues. The LAP and GGT were mostly concentrated in the kidneys; tissue LAP activity was generally low. Reference plasma values were determined in 17 ringed and 15 harp seals. The CK and GGT, respectively, are recommended for monitoring exertional stress and hepatobiliary dysfunction in phocid seals.

Phocid seals were immobilized safely and repeatedly, using a combination of ketamine and diazepam at mean IM or IV dosages of 1.5 mg/kg and 0.05 mg/kg, respectively. Induction and recovery were smoother than with ketamine used alone. Experimentally induced pneumonia did not alter the effects of the drugs, thus attesting to the safety of the ketamine-diazepam combination.

Gastric ulcers and erosions were found in a captive bottle-nosed dolphin. The results of gross and histologic examination suggested peptic digestion as the cause of ulcerations in the 1st compartment. The underlying cause of the erosions in the 2nd compartment appeared to be based on vascular rather than peptic mechanisms. Among the many factors responsible for these lesions, histamine, found in inadequately preserved dietary fish, was implicated as the initial ulcerogenic stimulant.