You should place the turtle back where it was found. Wild turtles are often found with ear infections. These infections are self-correcting. Many times I have performed surgeries on infected ears, only to find out years later that this is not necessary.



I too was a bio/pre-Veterinary major. I worked as a Veterinary technician for several years and was extensively involved in turtle rescue and rehabilitation. While your intentions are good, your actions are unethical. We should not be experimenting with wild turtles upon our own whims. You are concerned about violating drug laws, when in truth you very well may be violating laws by performing surgery upon a wild animal. Most importantly, the surgery is unecessary.



You will probably not find the information you seek due to the fact that safe, easy, and effective anesthesia protocols are readily available to those that require them. If you do come across something, I'd be extremely cautious.



Please don't take offense. I tried very hard to not be rude or insulting.

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