Gastrointestinal impaction in a juvenile green turtle (Chelonia mydas) due to ingestion of solid waste: case report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26605/medvet-v18n3-6744Keywords:
Rehabilitation, pollution, gastrointestinal obstruction, sea turtle, reptilesAbstract
Human activities have caused serious damage to marine life. Among the species most affected by the presence of solid waste in the sea, turtles are particularly vulnerable, as they often ingest this debris. Consequently, the animals may suffer gastrointestinal obstruction and die. The aim of this study was to report gastrointestinal impactation in a juvenile green turtle (Chelonia mydas) due to ingestion of solid waste. The animal was found stranded on the coast of Pernambuco and sent for rehabilitation. On initial clinical examination, it was cachectic, apathetic, with barnacles and algae adhered to its body, fractures in the carapace, and bone exposure in the plastron. The patient received treatment for eight days but ultimately died. Necropsy revealed several abnormalities, including a corneal ulcer in the right eye; free greenish-yellow fluid in the coelomic cavity; hematoma beneath the scutes and ribs; pale and friable heart; the right kidney showing hemorrhagic areas and reduced size compared to the left; friable pectoral muscles; the right lobe of the liver showing whitish areas and enlarged edges; and signs of pneumonia, such as mucus in the trachea, bronchi and left lung. In the gastrointestinal tract, food content and solid waste such as plastic and synthetic fibers were found, along with engorged mesenteric vessels, fecaloma and mucosal ulcers. The case was concluded to be a death caused by gastrointestinal impaction due to the ingestion of solid waste, likely complicated by a septic process.Downloads
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