Suzanne

Species: Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta)

Arrival Date: July 10, 2020
Stranding Location: Jensen Beach, FL

Initial Weight: 85.49 lbs.
Current Weight: lbs.

Issue: Chronic Debilitation

Suzanne is a subadult loggerhead sea turtle patient that was found at FPL’s St. Lucie site with a heavy epibiota load on its carapace, plastron, and soft tissue. The turtle is slightly underweight, and bloodwork shows early signs of chronic debilitation. Upon arrival, the turtle was put into freshwater to remove the barnacles, leeches, and other epibiota that covered its body. Suzanne will be closely monitored by hospital staff with routine bloodwork as it's being treated. This turtle was originally tagged, and released by biologists from FPL’s St. Lucie site on September 19, 2019.

PROGRESS KEY:

Good Condition
Fair Condition
Poor Condition

Patient requires continued treatment but is progressing well.

Minor adjustments have been made to the patient's treatment.

Patient is off all medications.

PROGRESS NOTES:

09/17/2020 -- Suzanne was released from Loggerhead Park.

09/10/2020 --

09/04/2020 -Suzanne is making excellent progress and has been off of medications for two weeks. The turtle’s packed cells are now normal.

08/27/2020 --

08/20/2020 --

08/13/2020 -Suzanne's white blood cell count has normalized and she is responding well to treatment.

08/06/2020 -Suzanne's white blood cell count has normalized and she is responding well to treatment.

07/30/2020 -Suzanne's white blood cell count had decreased and the turtle is responding well to treatment. The turtle was taken to Jupiter Medical Center for CT this week as the first chronic debilitated patient to have the type of study performed.

07/23/2020 -Suzanne's white blood cell count has increased so a new treatment protocol has been established.

07/16/2020 - New Patient