Loaf | South Carolina Aquarium

Loaf

Aug 22

Loaf

Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

Stranding Location: Myrtle Beach, SC
Arrival Date: 8/13/24
Age: Juvenile
Sex: Unknown
Weight: 3.84 kg (8.47 lbs)

Case History

This juvenile Kemp’s ridley was hooked by a fisherman at the Myrtle Beach State Park Fishing Pier. Many thanks to the ranger and responders who ensured the fishing line was not cut too short and secured it properly to Loaf’s carapace and to the permitted transporters who brought Loaf to the Aquarium.

Treatment

Upon admit, the patient was bright, alert and responsive but had raspy breathing. In addition to the swallowed hook, there were also signs of previous entanglement wounds to the left flipper. We took radiographs to determine the size and positioning of the swallowed hook and were surprised to find that two hooks had been swallowed! One was caught in the back of the mouth, and the other was further down in the lower esophagus. A blood sample was taken to determine if Loaf was healthy enough to be sedated for oral hook removal, and luckily the values were within normal limits. It took a little over an hour, but both hooks were successfully removed and once Loaf was awake again, s/he was placed in a tank with shallow water to recover overnight.

Updates

August 15, 2024: In the days following admit, Loaf has proven to be a strong swimmer and will begin to receive water depth increases soon! Additionally, Loaf has begun defecating regularly which is a great sign of a healthy gut!

September 15, 2024: Over the last month, Loaf’s condition has continued to concern us and diagnostic tests revealed a probable lung infection and other concerning blood values. We performed a bronchoscopy to visually evaluate the lungs and collect a sample of fluid to evaluate the best treatment plan. Based on the results of these tests, we have started a nebulization treatment every day which deposits the medication directly into the lung tissue. Bloodwork also indicated that Loaf was very dehydrated so we have restarted fluid therapy. Loaf is definitely one sick turtle and we are providing a thorough treatment plan and supportive care to give her/him the best chance at survival. Send all your healing thoughts to Loaf!

October 15, 2024: Loaf has had a rollercoaster of a month. We saw a rapid decline in overall health shortly after the last update. Dehydration, hyperglycemia, weight loss, and low potassium are just a few of the significant problems that Loaf was experiencing. Based on these concerning issues we jumped into action.

It was pretty much around the clock care for this little Kemp’s ridley. Loaf was started on IV antibiotics, fluids, vitamins, calcium, IV nutrition and even insulin injections. With Loaf’s decline, we also saw a lack of appetite and buoyancy problems. As you can imagine, Loaf was struggling to survive but we were doing absolutely everything we could think of to save her/his life! After about two weeks of daily treatments, we started seeing slight improvements in Loaf’s bloodwork and behavior. As of now, Loaf has started eating again and is regulating her/his buoyancy better! We’re still not out of the woods yet, but we are excited about the progress that Loaf has made.

November 15, 2024: Loaf is quite the fighter! This patient continues to impress us with how much s/he has improved over the last few weeks. Loaf’s buoyancy issues have resolved, and her/his bloodwork has improved enough that s/he no longer needs as many medications. We are still nebulizing Loaf every day to treat the fungal pneumonia, which seems to be really helping this patient. Loaf is eating consistently again but on top of needing a specialized diet to ensure her/his blood sugar doesn’t skyrocket, s/he is quite the picky eater!

December 15, 2024: Loaf is finally behaving in a way that indicates to us that s/he is on the mend (which is such a relief to us after the difficulties s/he has faced)! We are continuing regular nebulization treatments and antibiotics to make sure we stay on top of the aggressive infection. Recently we transitioned Loaf to a fish only diet (previously, we were offering squid) and it’s going very well! Loaf is continuing to improve and gain weight. Go Loaf!

January 15, 2025: Put your flippers together for Loaf, because this Kemp’s ridley had a major milestone this month: Loaf no longer needs nebulization treatments! We track our patients’ healing progress in many ways, and with Loaf’s severe pneumonia, we have been monitoring her/him with frequent CT scans. This past month’s CT looked great, meaning Loaf no longer needs to be nebulized! While this is extremely exciting news, we will still need to continue monitoring Loaf in the coming months to ensure the pneumonia does not return.

February 15, 2025: After many long months of treatment and lots of curve balls thrown our way, Loaf is back out in the ocean! Our thanks to the United States Coast Guard and SCDNR for helping us release Loaf offshore alongside four other healthy patients this month.

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