Novel Shell Wound Care in the Aquatic Turtle

When shell damage occurs in chelonians, fractures and/or areas of barrier disruption often lead to secondary infections and loss of shell integrity. Timely healing depends on fragment stabilization and proper wound care. Wound management is problematic in aquatic and semiaquatic chelonians, as they must remain in water for natural physiologic functions. The purpose of this investigation was to develop a waterproof wound shield allowing routine husbandry and encourage natural behaviors during healing of shell and skin wounds. A nontoxic, underwater epoxy (Aqua-Stix, Two Little Fishies, Inc., Miami Gardens, FL USA) was applied to shells of 14 red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) around an approximately 1 cm, surgically created, full-thickness shell wound. A urine specimen cup was cut in half, and the uppercut edge was seated into the center of the epoxy, leaving the cup lumen exposed over the wound. Special attention was paid to applying the ring of epoxy congruent with the shell scutal plates and embedding the epoxy tightly to the cup. The specimen lid was then threaded into place before the subjects were exposed to water. Infrared thermography determined thermal effects of epoxy application by using an ETIP 7320 P-Series infrared camera (Infrared Cameras Inc., Beaumont, TX USA). The average baseline shell temperature was 24°C. During epoxy application, local temperature increased from 28°C to 32°C, followed by rapid (<5 minutes) temperature reduction. Turtles showed no noticeable discomfort during application, and the wound shield remained water tight for 6 months allowing study subjects to recover under more physiologic conditions (aquatic environment).