BASE-LINE COAGULATION ASSAY VALUES FOR NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS (MIROUNGA-ANGUSTIROSTRIS), AND DISSEMINATED INTRAVASCULAR COAGULATION IN THIS SPECIES

Coagulation assays, including platelet counts, antithrombin III, fibri nogen, fibrinogen degradation product levels, prothrombin (PT), activa ted partial thromboplastin (APTT) and activated clotting times (ACT), were performed on 20 healthy juvenile northern elephant seals (Miroung a angustirostris) stranded along the central California coastline from 15 March to 15 April 1994, to establish baseline parameters for this species. Elephant seals appear to have relatively short ACT, PT, and A PTT times, while fibrinogen, platelet and antithrombin III levels are similar to domestic species. Based on these mean values in healthy ani mals, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was diagnosed in an elephant seal with low plasma fibrinogen and extended ACT, PT and APT T times; this animal had hemorrhages, mixed bacterial suppurative inte rstitial pneumonia with verminous arteritis, epicarditis, hepatitis an d enterocolitis.