"Atalaya"
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Huntington Beach State Park, SC
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07/12/2012
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juvenile
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37.2 kg (82 lb)
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At 8:30 P.M., an emaciated 37.2 kg loggerhead arrived at our hospital greatly in need of medical treatment. Nearly lifeless when s/he stranded at Huntington Beach State Park earlier in the day, this turtle was in the final stages of debilitated turtle syndrome (DTS). Named Atalaya for the castle located near her stranding location, this loggerhead was dehydrated, crusted with barnacles and algae, and had exposed dead bone on her skull. Her heart rate was 34 beats per minute upon arrival, but our Doppler heart rate monitor revealed unusual sounds indicative of a health issue.
Blood work performed upon arrival was poor, with no detectable glucose and a PCV of 5%, which is often fatal. Leeches, which feed on blood, were located around the mouth and were removed at admittance. Fluid therapy improved the heart sounds, and Atalaya received two antibiotics, injectable vitamins, and IV dextrose and hetastarch (to increase the volume of fluid in the circulatory system). This turtle remained dry-docked overnight to prevent drowning.
18 July 2012: Amazingly, Atalaya is still with us and fighting to survive. She is still very lethargic but strong enough to float in water and breathe as needed. Surprisingly, she passed a real fecal yesterday that consisted of crab parts and other marine organisms. She may have been feeding a little bit during the last couple of months but, given her state of emaciation and lethargy, some of this fecal matter may have been stalled in her gut for quite some time. S/he had no interest in eating on her own but was very calm during a tube-feeding yesterday, and we are hoping to slowly get her digestive system up and running properly again over the next few weeks.
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Photo thanks to Barb Bergwerf
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