Red Ear Sliders are common water turtles that inhabit the fresh water ponds and swamps of Southeastern Virginia. Unfortunately, they are all too often the victims of being hit by a car when they attempt to cross a road. This lucky turtle was brought in to our clinic with a substantial shell injury but otherwise did not suffer form any internal injuries. Here Drs. Hulls (left) and Poutous have anesthetized the turtle and are assessing the damage in order to determine the best method of repair.

It has been decided to use stainless steel wires to put the shell back together and hold it in place. Here Dr Poutous drills holes in the shell with our orthopedic drill. Twenty two gauge stainless steel wires were placed between shell sections and tightened to secure the loose section in place.

Post operatively things look good. The shell has come together nicely. This turtle recovered well from anesthesia and surgery. After several weeks of antibiotics, pain management and physical therapy in our bath tub, this turtle was released to a wildlife rehabilitator until it could be released back into the wild. The Drs. at Pet Care Veterinary Hospital see a fair number of wildlife cases on which all treatment is performed for free. It is our way of helping out those creatures in need of medical assistance in an ever-increasing urban environment.