"Palmer"
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Isle of Palms, SC
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06/09/2010
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Juvenile
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45.4 kg (~100 pounds)
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This 39 kg debilitated loggerhead arrived at the Aquarium's Sea Turtle Hospital around 9 p.m. Wednesday night from the Isle of Palms. The turtle, named Palmer, is emaciated and covered with tiny barnacles. Blood parameters are very low (PCV is ~7) but not rock bottom as we see in some animals. Palmer was completely lethargic upon arrival with a heart rate of 14 bpm, but activity level and heart rate improved somewhat following IV and SQ fluid therapy.
Palmer is on an intensive treatment regimen. S/he is receiving injections of antibiotics, vitamins, iron, and calcium; as well as daily fluid therapy. A freshwater bath is being utilized to noninvasively remove epibionts.
7/3/2010: Palmer remains lethargic, positively buoyant, and is showing minimal signs of improvement since being admitted. Her treatment regimen is intensive and includes various types of subcutaneous fluids, injections, and oral medications. On a positive note, Palmer began intermittently eating on her own on 21 June and is now consuming 1% of her body weight in food daily. However, her bloodwork is not showing the improvements we'd like to see yet.
8/7/2010: Palmer has finally begun showing signs of improvement over the last couple weeks. S/he is consistently eating 3% of her body weight in fish daily, s/he's gained 3 kg, and recent bloodwork shows her PCV has increased to 9.5 (still low, but any improvement is welcome at this point). However, this turtle is still emaciated and floats on the surface of her tank most of the time.
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Photo thanks to Mary Pringle
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