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Objective To document ocular lesions present in cold-stunned sea turtles and determine the impact of these lesions on their release. Animals All sea turtles (Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas, and Lepidochelys kempii) presenting to rehabilitation centers in North Carolina over two cold stun seasons. Procedures Complete ophthalmic examination using slit-lamp biomicroscopy, fluorescein stain, rebound tonometry, and occasionally binocular indirect funduscopy was performed within 1 week of presenting to the rehabilitation centers. A second examination was performed 2 weeks after the first examination in animals with ocular lesions and still present at the center. Results One hundred and sixty-four turtles (121 Chelonia mydas, 26 Lepidochelys kempii, 17 Caretta caretta) were evaluated over two cold stun seasons (2016-2017 and 2017-2018). Ocular or periocular lesions were identified in 78 of 164 (47.5%) turtles examined with 37 of 164 (22.5%) having bilateral disease. The most common ocular lesion was superficial corneal ulceration, accounting for 21.3% of all lesions. Adnexal lesions were also common, while intraocular abnormalities were overall rare. Most resolved uneventfully. Though some blinding lesions were noted, these were not present bilaterally in any one turtle, and thus, ocular findings did not affect release. Conclusion Ocular lesions in cold-stunned sea turtles are common. Some of these lesions are potentially blinding or require appropriate care, so evaluation of cold-stunned turtles should include a complete ophthalmic examination.

Ketoprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and analgesic agent that nonselectively inhibits cyclooxygenase, with both COX-1 and COX-2 inhibition. Recent studies on COX receptor expression in reptiles suggest that nonselective COX inhibitors may be more appropriate than more selective inhibitors in some reptiles, but few pharmacokinetic studies are available. The goal of this study was to determine single- and multidose (three consecutive days) pharmacokinetics of racemic ketoprofen administered intravenously and intramuscularly at 2 mg/kg in healthy juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). The S-isomer is the predominant isomer in loggerhead sea turtles, similar to most mammals, despite administration of a 50:50 racemic mixture. Multidose ketoprofen administration demonstrated no bioaccumulation; therefore, once-daily dosing will not require dose adjustment over time. S-isomer pharmacokinetic parameters determined in this study were Cmax of 10.1 μg/ml by IM injection, C0 of 13.4 μg/ml by IV injection, AUC of 44.7 or 69.4 μg*hr/ml by IM or IV injection, respectively, and T½ of 2.8 or 3.6 hr by IM or IV injection, respectively. Total ketoprofen plasma concentrations were maintained for at least 12 hr above concentrations determined to be effective for rats and humans. A dose of 2 mg/kg either IM or IV every 24 hr is likely appropriate for loggerhead turtles.

Background The Southern Stingray (Dasyatis americana) is a batoid elasmobranch frequently exhibited in zoological institutions. Blood is commonly collected from the caudal hemal arch at the tail base in stingrays for the purpose of health assessment and clinical pathology tests. An alternative site that allows a dorsal or ventral approach without necessitating puncture of a cartilaginous structure has been identified between the cartilaginous pectoral fin rays (ceratotrichia). Objectives The purpose of the study was to compare CBC, plasma biochemistry analytes, and blood gas variables between blood samples collected from the caudal and pectoral fin vasculature sites of the Southern Stingray. Methods Fifteen captive Southern Stingrays (10 females, 5 males) from 4 zoo and aquarium facilities were sampled. Lithium heparinized blood samples were collected from the caudal and pectoral venipuncture sites of each animal. Values from estimated total and differential leukocyte counts, plasma biochemistry analytes, and blood gas variables were compared. Results There were no statistically significant differences between venipuncture sites for the measured analytes except for CK activity, which was statistically significantly higher in the pectoral site samples. Levels of agreement between sites were good or moderate for 22 analytes and poor for ALT, AST, CK, pO2, lactate, monocytes, and eosinophils. Conclusions The good agreement between sampling sites for the majority of the measured analytes and the lack of differences that would alter clinical interpretation support the use of the pectoral site as an alternative to the traditional caudal fin venipuncture site in Southern Stingrays.

Thromboelastography (TEG) provides a global evaluation of haemostasis. This diagnostic test is widely used in mammals but has not previously been performed in reptiles, mainly due to the limited availability of taxon-specific reagents. The objective of this pilot study was to establish a protocol to perform TEG in sea turtles. Pooled citrated plasma, stored at −80°C, from four green turtles (Chelonia mydas) was assayed on a TEG 5000. Several initiators were evaluated: kaolin (n=2), RapidTEG (n=2), fresh (n=2) and frozen (n=6) thromboplastin extracted from pooled brain tissue from several chelonian species, human recombinant tissue factor at 1:100 (n=1), Reptilase (n=2), and rabbit thromboplastin (n=1). Both fresh and frozen chelonian thromboplastin were superior in producing quantifiable TEG reaction time compared with all other reagents. These findings are consistent with the lack of an intrinsic pathway in turtles and confirmed a lack of coagulation in the turtle samples in response to mammalian thromboplastin. A TEG protocol was subsequently established for harvested species-specific frozen thromboplastin. The frozen thromboplastin reagent remained stable after one year of storage at −80°C. The developed protocol will be useful as a basis for future studies that aim to understand the pathophysiology of haemostatic disorders in various stranding conditions of sea turtles.

Tricaine methanesulfonate (MS-222) solutions are used routinely for clinical and experimental anesthesia of a variety of aquatic organisms. It is commonly accepted that MS-222 alters pH when added to freshwater, and buffering freshwater anesthetic solutions is considered to be the standard of care. However, buffering saltwater solutions is considered by many to be unnecessary; some individuals question whether any water with high natural mineral hardness needs to be buffered when MS-222 is added. To assess the need for buffering, we studied the dynamics of pH change when adding clinically relevant amounts of MS-222 to artificial seawater and to freshwater of varying hardness. We found that artificial seawater does not possess adequate buffering capacity to prevent a physiologically significant drop in pH when MS-222 is added, and hardness does not accurately predict the reaction of water pH to the addition of MS-222 in clinically relevant concentrations. Our data for salt water suggest that MS-22...

Deletion of short arm 9 was found in a 61-year-old, mentally retarded male with few of the previously described signs typical of deletion of short arm 9 in children. A survey is given of the nine previously described cases of deletion of short arm 9.