Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

Stranding Location: Seabrook, SC
Arrival Date: 9/2/24
Age: Juvenile
Sex: Unknown
Weight: 4.32 kg (9.52 lbs)

Case History

Sausage is a juvenile Kemp’s ridley sea turtle who was accidentally hooked by a fisherman at the Whale Branch Fishing Pier. The turtle had unfortunately swallowed the hook, but the angler left a good amount of line attached for us to use to find the hook. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources volunteers met the fisherman at the pier and transported Sausage to the South Carolina Aquarium for rehabilitation.

Treatment

Upon arrival, Sausage was a very active and healthy-looking Kemp’s ridley. Our first step was to take radiographs to assess the location of the hook. Though the hook seemed small, it was fairly deep in the esophagus. We moved on to taking bloodwork to evaluate if Sausage was stable enough for us to attempt to remove the hook. Luckily, Sausage’s bloodwork looked good and we decided to remove the hook that day. Sedation medication was administrated to ensure Sausage was safe and comfortable for the hook removal. Unfortunately, the thin fishing line attached to the hook untied during the procedure and the hook was too deep in the esophagus to successfully remove through the mouth. We decided to schedule a hook removal surgery for the following morning to prevent the hook from migrating further down the esophagus and into the stomach.

Sausage was given medications to wake her/him from sedation and we administrated fluids, vitamins and antibiotics. Sausage woke up quickly and was active enough to be placed in water. This patient proved to be a strong swimmer and was taking consistent breaths, which are good signs that s/he is strong enough for the upcoming surgery.

Updates

September 3, 2024: Sausage is now hook-free after a successful surgery! Radiographs were taken right before surgery to check the location of the hook and luckily, it stayed put! We were able to remove the hook from the esophagus swiftly and Sausage recovered very well from sedation afterwards. It looks like this patient is off to a great start in her/his recovery!

September 15, 2024: Sausage has been recovering well after the hook removal and the surgical sites is healing well. As expected, it took a few days for the soreness in her/his throat to resolve enough for Sausage to begin expressing interest in food. Now, Sausage is eating well! This is an important step in a patient’s rehabilitation as proper nutrition is needed for the body to heal. So far things are looking up for Sausage!