We are frequently asked about our patients, what type of care is required and our facility.

The Turtle Hospital has a 100,000 gallon salt water pool that is divided into 3 sections. The pool is home for our “Lifers” (turtle that can not be released due to type of injury) and turtles being rehabilitated, either recovering from fibropapilloma surgery (paps turtles are held for 1 year after surgery to ensure no re-growth) or turtles learning how to swim with only 3 flippers.

Our 23 tanks, ranging in size from 150 to 650 gallons are used for turtles requiring active treatments, turtles requiring shallow or no water and turtles too small to place in the pool.

Turtle Hospital Statistics March 28, 2008

Total residents – 40

Permanent residents (not releasable) – 14

11 – Green, 2 Loggerhead, 1 – Kemp’s Ridley

1 – blind / fibropapilloma

1 – boat hit / floating / paralyzed rear flippers / fibropapilloma

2 – boat hit / floating / shark attack / missing flipper(s)

1 – boat hit / floating

9 – boat hit / floating / fibropapilloma

Annual physicals (exam, x-rays, blood work)

Under rehabilitation – 26

11 – Green, 8 Loggerhead, 2 – Kemp’s Ridley, 5 – Hawksbill

7 – Floating, infection / impaction

3 – Floating / Emaciated

2 – Shark attack / missing flipper(s)

2 – Entanglement / missing flipper

2 – Entanglement / missing flipper / fibropapilloma

1 – Entanglement (physical therapy for flipper)

2 – Neurological disorder

1 – Boat hit

5 – fibropapilloma

1 – Fishhook ingestion / floating

Under active treatments

11 receive 3 to 5 injections (IM) (antibiotics / vitamins) every other day

12 receive fluids (injected subcutaneous) every other day

5 receive wound care (cleaned and debrided) every day

4 force fed every day

8 blood work weekly

16 blood work monthly

Surgeries scheduled as required. Usually between 3 and 7 per month:

Endoscope inspection of internal organs to identify fibropapilloma tumors

Removal of external fibropapilloma tumors (radio scalpel, laser)

Flipper amputation

Wound cleaning / closure

Fishhook removal