Wildlife vet Joe Heaver said the centre normally used a fish-based diet for young pups but it is transitioning to use a mixture of fish and milk-based products.
However it is difficult to recreate.
“The milk that seals would eat from their mother in the wild is extremely difficult to replicate because it is very high in fat and there is not an animal that replicates that that we can take milk from,” Heaver said.
Over the past couple of years the centre has trialled using different milk products and feeding the seals in different ways, including bottle-feeding.
“Bottle feeding is a more natural way of feeding seals and more similar to what they do in the wild, but it’s not as quick so you’re spending more time with the seal, which could be more stressful,” he said.
Heaver said the new feeding methods are showing some promise but it is still early days so it is difficult to know how effective it is compared to what was done before.