Lupin

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta)

Stranding Location: Brewster, MA

Arrival Date: 12/11/2018

Age: Juvenile

Weight: 20 kg (44 lbs)

Case History

Lupin was originally found on the beach in Brewster, Massachusetts on December 5, 2018. His body temperature was 39°F when he arrived at The New England Aquarium (NEAq). Lupin stayed at NEAq until flying down with four other juvenile loggerhead sea turtles on December 11, 2018. Lupin’s pilots were Chuck Yanke and Mike Lalley from the organization Turtles Fly Too. Lupin was transported to the South Carolina Aquarium where vet staff were waiting to treat him and the four other turtles.

Treatment

Upon admit, Lupin’s body temperature was in the 70s. Luckily, when Lupin was flown down his body temperature didn’t drop too low. Lupin was already pretty stable but he received fluids, vitamins, antibiotics, and eye medication. We did a quick triage then let Lupin rest until he was ready to go into a tank.

Updates

December 15, 2018: The day after admit, Lupin moved to his tank in Zucker Family Sea Turtle Recovery. He immediately ate food and is doing very well! He’s getting pulled every day for his eye medications and receiving antibiotics every couple of days as well. Come see Lupin at the South Carolina Aquarium today!

January 1, 2019: Lupin is still receiving his eye medications because they still looked a little cloudy at his last check-up. He also has a couple of antibiotic injections left. Lupin has been eating great for us and defecates daily! He’s gaining weight slowly and looks great. He’s definitely a favorite in Zucker Family Sea Turtle Recovery.

January 15, 2019: Lupin is starting to become a picky eater and will only eat a portion of his diet the last couple of days. We are keeping an eye on this to make sure nothing more serious is going on. Lupin will receive a CT scan later in the week and a full exam along with it.

February 1, 2019: Lupin recently received a CT scan to check for pneumonia or other abnormalities. We’re happy to say his scan looked great! His lungs didn’t show any signs of pneumonia and everything else looked amazing! We will continue to monitor his breaths, as a raspy breath is a good indication of pneumonia. Lupin can be a picky eater, but has been getting a little better about eating his whole diet. He’s gaining some weight and growing a little, too!

February 15, 2019: Lupin is doing great! He has started to eat a little better and is not quite as picky with his diet! Lupin spends most of his days resting or cruising around his tank.