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Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)
Stranding Location: Stono Inlet, Charleston, SC
Arrival Date: 5/25/2021
Age: Sub-Adult
Weight: 65.50 kg (144 lbs)
Case History
Moonstone was found off of Stono Inlet near Charleston by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) on the R/V Lady Lisa. Moonstone was pulled on board with a stingray barb though her right rear flipper. SCDNR biologists, Chris Evans and Mike Arendt, assessed the injury from the barb and knew that it would need it to be removed. Mike Arendt transported Moonstone to the Aquarium by boat, where Sea Turtle Care Center™ staff admitted her for stingray barb removal.
Treatment
Moonstone was very active and alert at admit and was carefully placed on a scale to get a weight. Once a weight was taken, we sedated her to better assess the barb and determine how to best proceed with removing it. We took a quick CT scan to visualize the positioning of the barb in the right, rear flipper. The venom in stingray barbs can cause bleeding and a significant amount of tissue damage, so they need to be removed as quickly as possible. Once off the CT table, Moonstone was moved to the exam room for the removal. The stingray barb was easily removed and a pressure bandage of sorts was used to help slow, and eventually stop, the bleeding. While Moonstone was under sedation, we administered fluids, vitamins and antibiotics. Moonstone started to become more active on the table and, after the fluids were finished, she was moved into a shallow water tank downstairs in our basement ICU. Moonstone was monitored closely and left to rest comfortably overnight.
Update
June 3, 2021: Over the past few days, staff noticed that Moonstone had become quieter and less active than she was the first few days after admit. Moonstone had not started eating yet, which is normal for new patients when they first arrive. Moonstone was given fluids and vitamins throughout the week, but she still was not as energetic as we hoped. We decided to bring her to our exam room so that our vet team could do another full exam and take full body x-rays to make sure we did not miss a barb on CT or on physical exam. Just as we had suspected, there was a second stingray barb that was embedded in the soft tissue under her right front flipper. It was very hard to detect on x-ray and the entry wound was barley visible unless you knew where to look for it using x-rays; there was also no bleeding at the site on admit. Moonstone was then sedated and a small incision was made to remove the barb surgically. She received pain management drugs, fluids and was put on a secondary antibiotic to aid in the healing process. She has some sutures in the incision site and will continue to receive fluids on her injection days until she begins eating. Fingers crossed that Moonstone will start to feel better and begin to eat soon.
June 15, 2021: Moonstone’s surgical sites where the two barbs were removed are continuing to heal, and we are keeping an eye out for necrotic tissue caused by the venom. She is much more alert and active since the last surgery and is using both of the flippers normally. Toward the end of last week, Moonstone finally showed interest in food. Since then, her appetite has picked up, and she is now eating all of the fish off the bottom of her tank. These are all huge milestones in her recovery process!
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