A week ago one of my lab animal students called from the town next door where she lives. Someone had brought a broken hit by car box turtle to the clinic where she works, that's about 40 miles from my house.
The clinic she works in has been around for 30-40 years and has always been a dog/cat/equine clinic. Today with 4 vets working there instead of only one, it's still a dog/cat/equine clinic.
When the semester started I told the students up front if something like this happens & I can help let me know.. so DH & I met this student when she got off work & could meet half way, I got the turtle and the minute I saw her I thought darn it she's not gonna make it.
I got her to my herp vet first thing Sat. morning and she got all the treatment she could have for the time being but by the next day she did pass on.
On top of being horrible injured she looked very sick & she was very infected because, you could smell it. So darn it.. this time we lost one but not because we didn't try.
The story on her was a man found her already like that (what a nice man to have at least made an effort to help her rather than leave her where he found her)
so there's no telling when the injury happened & how long she sat out in the open, temps way too cool for them at night.
I've added hay to the areas where Hobo stays in the yard and I have seen him bury himself under it right before the sun sets so I know if he's getting under hay then it's too cool to sit out at night when it's 60 degrees, sometimes cooler.
I know they can't all be saved but it sure is a let down when you try to save one but you can't.
I talked to my vet, she said hang onto the meds that were for her because for the next month it's going to be "find injured turtle season" & who knows what might turn up next or when.
Yeah, that's a shame but it's true.
I hate losing!!
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PHRatz
