Marine Turtle Trauma Response Procedures:  A Veterinary Guide

Terry Norton and Nancy Mettee (Editors). 2020. WIDECAST Technical Report No. 20.

Veterinary Supplies

The following is a list of items which may not be on hand in a typical veterinary clinic but can prove useful when working with sea turtles:

Monofilament suture material (preferred over multifilament): 

    • Ethilon is good non-absorbable product for skin 
    • Monocryl is good choice for absorbable product

Scale (will need to be elevated so flippers do not touch when patient is weighed)

Spinal needles for blood draws and IV administration in large turtles

GTT for blood samples 

14 gauge jugular catheters

Heated surgery table with hydraulic lift

Ventilator

Silvadene ointment

Wheelbarrow for patient transport

wheelbarrowsm


Large scale calipers and measuring tape

caliperssm  tape


Back board and gurney or sling for transport

sling  sling2

litter1  litter2

winkiegurney  backboard

 

AMBU bag

Ambusm


Isolation bin for dry dock (a child’s plastic swimming pool works equally well). Towels,diapers, or similar materials provide padding and absorbtion of fluids when placed beneath animals in dry dock.

bintopsm  poolsm

binsm  wheelbarrowbin

Mouth gags: PVC pipe couplings, canine/feline mouth gags, Markel mouth prop (for smaller turtles),  and avian speculum

pvcgags  nylabonegags  

markelcloseupsm  markelout

markelinleft  markelinrt

pvcgagsm  caninegagsm

bonegagsm  PVC gag2


Dental picks for debridement

dentalpickssm

Periosteal elevators for barnacle removal and debridement

elevatorssm  elevatorusesm


This chapter should be cited: Mettee, Nancy. 2014. Veterinary Supplies. Marine Turtle Trauma Response Procedures:  A Veterinary Guide. WIDECAST Technical Report No. 17. Accessed online [date].

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