Jerry's Turtle Protocols:
The "rules of thumb" for dealing with newly acquired animals is
an ever evolving process of weighing the pros and cons of various
situations with there end result. This information should be considered
opinion and not fact! Even though it is the cognitive, rationally
objective, logically deduced opinion of an experienced Turtle & Tortoise
breeder. As Jerry's "Turtle Protocols" evolve with his experience, and
his opinions change over time, I hope to keep this page up to date.
PROTECTING YOURSELF
Personally I have surgical scrub in all my soap dispensers and
I wash my hands between feedings, handling, and cleaning of each
animal, every time! Also to avoid infecting myself with any
nasty parasites I also worked with gloved hands on known
infected animals.
PROTECTING YOUR COLLECTION
I always feed my animals in a specific order to reduce cross
contamination. That order is captive bred hatchlings first,
captive bred adults second, wild caught third and quarantine
animals last.
It is wise for Institutions and indivi
duals with
large collections to practice this order of feeding and
cleaning. Animals that are currently being treated for some kind
of illness are kept separate from the general population.
Animals Kept in Quarantine are always fed last! These animals
may not be fed during the daily rounds. Instead they may be fed
several times a day or maybe only every 3rd day depending on the
treatment. I've been doing this the same way for so long I often
forget that I'm doing it until someone asks me why I skipped a
cage or pond while feeding instead of working left to right
through the room. Also boldly marked numbers on enclosures
reduces the possibility of feeding out of order and can be a
great help to the animal care givers for keeping consistency and
following written instructions.
NEW ANIMALS:
Rescued animals by their title are often already in trouble when
they arrive. You need to realize the importance of which steps
take precedence over others in order to save an animal. New
arrivals should always be quarantined for a minimum 90 days.
Always assume they are carrying parasites until proven otherwise
with multiple fecal checks using a microscope. Also be sure and
perform a thorough examination. The eyes and nose should look
and sound clear with no foaming or mucous around the mouth.
Mucous membranes on most species should be a light to deep pink.
Dark red or mottled membranes or rosy red tinge to the plastron
or soft skin can be a sign of septicemia (blood infection). Some
injuries that might be considered an emergency in mammals and
people may have little apparent effect on the mental well being
of chelonians or other reptiles. We have encountered many in the
wild or from the wild with missing toes, tails, limbs, etc and
they appeared to be in perfect health. However this is not
always the case in captivity. Small injuries and infections are
often successfully treatable with topical antibiotics. However
the stress of captive conditions can sometimes turn a minor
infection or injury into something severe and life threatening.
Often the first sign of sickness is a change in behavior - be
observant!
1) NEWLY ACQUIRED INJURIES ADDRESSED FIRST
Stop bleeding and check wound for severity. You may need to see a vet
to get an animal stitched up. If there are signs of infection
already or if you have reason to suspect infection please get to
an exotic vet to obtain proper medication for your animal. Do
not attempt to administer human cures or drugs to your reptiles
yourself without consulting a vet.. Beware - many human
medicines are toxic to reptiles!
2) EMACIATION, DEHYDRATION, AND HYPOTHERMIA
SECOND
NOT TREATED IN THAT ORDER!:
It is of no good to feed a cold reptile as it will not be able
to digest anything yet. It is dangerous to feed a dehydrated
animal before properly hydrating. And bringing a very cold
reptile's temperature up to rapidly can kill it! So what should
be addressed first depends on the animal and the severity of his
condition. Typically I follow:
If there is no bleeding or infection than you need to
bring the animal up to temperature. A turtle stuck outside during a
freeze can have frostbite (freezer burn) that may not be visible yet.
The last thing you want to do is put warm water on a freezing cold
animal. The shock can kill them. A very cold animal needs to be
brought into a cold corner of the house and allowed to slowly acclimate
to this warmer temperature. Turtles when this cold will not likely bite you. After 24 hrs you can
begin to raise the temperature towards their optimum basking temps.
Provide drinking water for this animal as it will be thirsty upon
reaching temperatures.
Now is the time to address hydration issues. Refer to your medical
reference for ratio per body weight of fluids to administer. It may
require a day or two of treating for dehydration before you can attempt
feeding. Of course I am referring to the extreme situations here and not
an average animal that is slightly below ideal temperatures. When
history is unknown it is safe to assume the worst. Sever dehydration may require sub-q (injection just under the skin) vs. orally
administered fluids.
Undernourished animals should be offered smaller amounts of food several
times daily. Once you begin to see an increase in weight, then you can correct the diet to a more
typical ratio so they don't gain dietary problems on top of everything
else. All animals can develop food additions and keeping a varied diet
is important to overall health. Tube feeding may become necessary.
3) FINALLY HABITAT CONSTRUCTION AND SOCIAL
INTERACTION
As a breeder I encourage social interactions
and set up my habitats to encourage normal breeding behaviors seen in the
wild. While I do allow normal disputes between dominate and
subordinate animals, I will draw the line when I see an animal
becoming stressed to the point of food refusal or physical
injury results, be observant and don't hesitate to separate
troubled and troublesome animals.
msf