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Turtle Mock Case

Turtle Mock Case. History. Good samaritan submitted a yellow-bellied slider to the UGA VTH on 05/08/14 for a “weird growth on its head.” Good sam found the turtle on the side of the road on 05/01/14, did not eat any of the cat food offered and “seems sick”. Step 1. Triage.

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Turtle Mock Case

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  1. Turtle Mock Case

  2. History Good samaritan submitted a yellow-bellied slider to the UGA VTH on 05/08/14 for a “weird growth on its head.” Good sam found the turtle on the side of the road on 05/01/14, did not eat any of the cat food offered and “seems sick”.

  3. Step 1. Triage • Determine whether the patient is in immediate risk of death (realistically if this were the case, the animal would already be stabilized before you arrive, but there is always a chance that the animal has declined in the cage after intake)

  4. Step 2. Identification Once the patient is stable, confirm species identification - Good Sams LOVE to try to be helpful and often provide information that may or may not be correct.

  5. Yellow-bellied slider?

  6. Physical Exam • Mentation: Depressed • Dehydrated • Integument: Round, 5mm x 5mm mass buldging from Left ear • Musculoskeletal: reduced withdrawl reflexes • Body Condition Score: thin

  7. What do you suggest we do next??

  8. FLUIDS!! Fluids are never a wrong answer for wildlife patients. We assume at least a 5% dehydration in pretty much all cases. Replacing dehydration deficits can have a significant effect on the rest of the animal’s physical exam, diagnostics, and overall mental state.

  9. Nutritional Support • Most wildlife will be undernourished. Sick wildlife will definitely be undernourished. • Provide a variety of fruits and vegetables sprinkled with calcium powder. Consider Omnivore Critical Care • may require gastric feeding tube. • Look out for Hypovitaminosis A. Common in turtles. • Buldging eyes main clinical sign

  10. Diagnostics Ear Mass: • Tumor? • Abscess? • Foreign body? Fine-Needle Aspirate: • Stick that sucker and find out! • Bacteria & White Blood Cells >> Abscess

  11. Now what? How would you treat next?

  12. Antibiotics??? • Good thought. Abx are generally required in cases of bacterial infection. • However… abscesses specifically are a little different. Often walled off by the body, and so much cellular debris that antibiotics cannot penetrate. • What else can we do?

  13. Surgery! • A chance to cut is a chance to cure! • Remove the whole abscess, bacteria and all • Leave wound open. Abscesses form because bacteria are trapped and grow out of control. • Most important aspect of treating an abscess is to leave an exit route for any remaining bacteria and cellular debris to drain

  14. Management • Daily sun & water baths • Continue parenteral nutritional support if necessary • Will be determined based mostly on daily weight change plus voluntary eating • Wound care • daily flushing

  15. Discharge! Once patient’s overall health has improved: brighter mentation, voluntary eating, weight stable or increasing, no residual signs of infection, confident that animal will continue to improve… Send for rehab or release!

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