Tortoise Shell Repair

By Lynn Miller, PhD

I had the very great pleasure of visiting the SPCA Wildlife Care Center in Ft Lauderdale, FL recently. I was able to spend time in the clinic of this very busy facility, observing and aiding with cases covering a wide range of species and injuries. It was fascinating to say the least. One case I wanted to share with my colleagues who care for reptiles concerns a gopher tortoise with two old fractures in the carapace.  On examining the wounds, veterinarian Dr. Stefan Harsch decided the dead tissue and debris in the fracture lines would impede or prevent healing. This meant significant debriding was necessary prior to applying the fixation devices.  Since this would be a painful invasive procedure, the tortoise also needed anesthesia, followed by medications to manage the post surgical pain.  The dead tissue was carefully removed until there was clean, healthy and bleeding tissue lining all the cracks. The cable tie mounts were glued to the shell so that the cracks could be closed to ensure complete healing.  Now, all going well, this tortoise should do well and be able to get on with life again. The bottom line, in this case, a veterinarian was needed to manage the wound ensuring the tortoise did not suffer further pain during the wound cleaning needed to ensure a solid repaired shell. Thank you for sharing this with me Dr. Harsch and team.