ID and HELP! PLEASE!

[jamesstill84]

I think I found a Terrapin in the middle of the road on my way home. My neighbor apparently ran over it on accident, so the shell has a gash in it. He's still very active though. Is there anything I can do to help his shell seal itself back up? Could someone ID him for me? Any suggestions at all are welcome.

99492

[Chris Anderson]

Its a Box Turtle and it needs to be taken to an emergency vet hospital. Look in the phone book and try to make a couple calls, I'm sure they can advise you on where the best place to take it is but it needs veterinary care if it has any chance of survival.

Chris

[cam191919]

eastern box turtle, take him to a wild animal rescue shelter or he'll most likely die from that gash

[jamesstill84]

Thanks!

[Vicious_Fish]

Yeah that's a male Eastern Box Turtle and I agree, take him to a vet ASAP. That's a very traumatic injury he sustained. But reptiles have remarkable abilities to heal so there's still some hope that he'll make it.

[jamesstill84]

There is only one place in my area that could operate on him and I have no way of getting there. I've been researching online and they recommend cleaning the area with Acetone, then sealing it with multiple applications of an epoxy. He's up and moving around. I've given him strawberries, celery, and carrots to eat.

[Nora]

Hi James - it really seems like you want to do well by this boxie. I have to tell you that the shell repair is not the tricky part of the damage - it's the internal injury that most likely occurred at the same time. Turtles can surprise - both good and bad - but the chances of this turtle pulling through in the long haul without vet care really are slim. See turtles may not move slowly compared to the cartoons of our childhood but they do other things incredibly painfully slowly compared to other animals - like heal or die. Trust me on this one - I've been caring for box turtles for 30 years now - more than half my life, and there are more and more that survive the type of injury this one has - but with vet care, meds and the like.

Here is a link to licensed rehabbers in KY - give a call to a few nearest you, they can put you in touch with a vet and given that it is a wild animal most likely provide supportive care as well.
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~devo0028/contactA.htm#ky

[jamesstill84]

Thanks very much. I'll give one of them a call.

[kayla25690]

Updates?

[jamesstill84]

We cleaned the wound, used some epoxy and sealed his shell back up. We kept an eye on him for several days. He has been released back into the wild. We watched him take his first steps back to nature. He sat there for a while looking around, figuring out where he was. I think he liked hearing the birds chirping again and such. He hung around for a few hours, then when my wife and I were getting ready to leave, he started wondering around. :)

[tricksterpup]

We cleaned the wound, used some epoxy and sealed his shell back up. We kept an eye on him for several days. He has been released back into the wild. We watched him take his first steps back to nature. He sat there for a while looking around, figuring out where he was. I think he liked hearing the birds chirping again and such. He hung around for a few hours, then when my wife and I were getting ready to leave, he started wondering around. :)
So you didnt use the advice given here and contacted any of the rehabbers? or atleast animal control?
Problem with herps is they can act and live a while before dying due to an injury. It may not survive this and will die some time down the line in the next month. Reptile care takes a long time. I have rehabbed many of turtles and other reptiles, they do take longer to heal than mammals. Heck, I have a boa that is finally well after a year of rehabbing.

Plus you just humanized the turtle. It was just trying to adjust to its surroundings. it doesnt care if it hears birds.

Sorry if I sound cold but its the truth with these animals. People humanize their herps or reptiles way to much. They just do not care.

[jamesstill84]

So you didnt use the advice given here and contacted any of the rehabbers? or atleast animal control?
Problem with herps is they can act and live a while before dying due to an injury. It may not survive this and will die some time down the line in the next month. Reptile care takes a long time. I have rehabbed many of turtles and other reptiles, they do take longer to heal than mammals. Heck, I have a boa that is finally well after a year of rehabbing.

Plus you just humanized the turtle. It was just trying to adjust to its surroundings. it doesnt care if it hears birds.

Sorry if I sound cold but its the truth with these animals. People humanize their herps or reptiles way to much. They just do not care.

First of all, I did what I could for the animal. I had no way of taking him to the only place in my area that works on reptiles. I called the places and they couldn't help without me taking him in.

Secondly, I didn't injure the turtle, it wasn't my pet. The only connection I have to this animal is that I found him in the middle of the road and knew he had been hit. Would you rather me leave him in the middle of the road for the rest of the world to run over? At least now he has a slight chance of living.

You don't have to give me crap over anything. I don't come on here and tell people their stupid because they're ignorant about raising fish. I help people as best I can without being rude.

[Chris Anderson]

So an amateur repair job on the shell, nothing addressing internal injury, no antibiotic courses and no recovery care...sounds like a goner for sure. Its a shame cause these types of injuries can be treated by qualified vets and rehabbing facilities and the animal could have very well survived. Very unfortunate...

Chris

[Pixie_84]

I hope it survives.

[Slappy*McFish]

Some of you folks are being too hard on Jamesstill. He helped the turtle the best he could. Many people would have just ignored it and went on with their daily routines.

[kayla25690]

james KUDOS To you for trying... don't listen to the rude comments... atleast you tried... and honestly, if this happened to me i would have done the same.. because i sure dont have any money to pay for a vet bill.

[Arakkis]

Epoxy is the next best thing to stapling the shell back, if he's healthy he may have a good chance since the wound is now sealed up. If that's all he could do then that's the best that could have been done. I've worked at shelters before and an injury like that usually ends up in euthanasia.

[jamesstill84]

Thanks for the supportive comments. I understand their passion in this, I share the same passion for my dogs and fish.

[Nora]

I'm a bit torn.

James you did well to step in and try to help.

The herp guys are correct as to potential outcome which is where the passion and frustration comes in, most of all I think we who feel that way just wish we could have done something to help.

On a side note - I wish you'd posted again before letting it go - not because I would have pushed you into trying to take more on, but because if you truly could not get it anywhere for the FREE help available I have some other 'tricks' up my sleeve for more assistance.

I wouldn't ask someone to pick up a vet bill in this situation - one of the reasons I have a mental list of numbers and agencies to try is because I myself cannot afford the vet bills on all of the rescues that come along and I've found myself in a similar position with a multitude of animals over the years.

The other agencies may not have helped, but just for future reference some suggestions for getting a pick up in a case such as this:

State DNR office - numbers available by state online.
Nearest University vet med school - many a vet med student or herp club person will make a rescue trip
Local pet stores that sell herps - not because a pet shop is the place to take it but because sometimes they know people to call who'll be able to pick up where you need to leave off.
Last but not least - local law enforcement, animal control if there is one - when there is no animal control officer the 'regular' officers cover that function as well.

[jamesstill84]

Thanks for the information. I'll keep that in mind next time I run across something like this. On my way to work this morning, I saw another turtle crossing, but he was okay. He hadn't been hit yet and was moving pretty fast (for a turtle). He made it across okay without any injuries.

[bettaobsession]

i think its great that you did that, many people would leave it for roadkill! ignore rude comments, at least you helped and wasnt the one who ran over it again! kudos