SICK TURTLE FINDS HIS OWN WAY TO TURTLE HOSPITAL
MARATHON, Florida Keys – A sick loggerhead sea turtle accidentally found its own way to the doctor, almost landing on the doorstep of the Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys, the only licensed veterinary facility in the world that solely treats sea turtles.
Sunday morning, staff members of the Turtle Hospital saw the 80-pound turtle swimming near a dock, just 20 feet away from turtle rehabilitation pools. At first they didn’t think too much about it, but the turtle hung around for several hours and didn’t leave.
After a closer visual examination, Turtle Hospital administrator Ryan Butts determined the reptile was not well, so he and other staff members rescued it to examine and treat it.
“He has a bacterial infection in his bloodstream,” Butts said Monday. “He's very very thin, very weak and very emaciated,” he said. “He just needs TLC.”
Butts said that that blood drawn from the teenage turtle has been sent to a laboratory for further diagnosis and in the meantime the reptile is being administered antibiotics and fluids.
“We've went out and rescued several thousand turtles over the past 25 years, but this is the first time a turtle has ever tracked us down and showed up at our doorstep waiting to be admitted to The Turtle Hospital,” Butts said. “The one good thing is that none of them get turned away.
“They don't need health insurance here,” he said.
Turtle Hospital staff and volunteers helped the sick turtle ashore Sunday morning for an initial observation. Photos courtesy of Florida Keys News Bureau
Turtle Hospital administrator Ryan Butts determined the turtle has a bacterial infection in his bloodstream, but is expected to recover.