Oreo
Oreo
Arrival Date: March 14, 2024
Patient Profile
Name: Oreo
Species: Green Sea Turtle
Weight: 4.6 pounds
Reason for visit: Cold Stunning, Laceration Wounds, and Fibropapillomatosis (FP)
Location Found: Transfer Patient from the Brevard Zoo, Melbourne, FL
Status Report
03/14/24: The Turtle Hospital is one of the largest sea turtle facilities in the state of Florida. This means we will help other organizations by taking in patients when their facility has reached capacity. The Brevard Zoo located in Melbourne, Florida like many facilities was reaching capacity due to Cold Stunned sea turtles arriving in large numbers. Oreo was found near Indian Harbour Beach with deep laceration wounds on her front left flipper, Cold Stunned, and Fibropapillomatosis (FP) tumors on her front right flipper. Once stable for transport, Oreo was rushed to The Turtle Hospital for further care. Our rehab staff was ready when she arrived, performing diagnostics and providing supportive care to help make Oreo more comfortable. Upon exam Dr. Norton found Oreo must have been suffering with her laceration wounds for some time as they appeared partially healed. But to ensure the best outcome for Oreo these wounds were cleaned and treated with both topical medications and Oreo was started on antibiotics to help assist her immune system. Oreo’s rehab team will monitor her daily and continue to support her in all she needs.
(Cold Stunning occurs when the ocean waters temperature drops too quickly before a sea turtle is able to migrate south or to warmer waters. Cold stunning lowers their body temperature resulting in extreme lethargy, loss of appetite, and loss of energy. This can place a sea turtle in danger of decline in health, predator attacks, and/or boat strikes for some examples)
4/16/24: Oreo has been improving over the last month. Rehab staff notes Oreo is a very well behaved patient for her wound care and is always rewarded her favorite snack of Mackerel after diagnostics. While she still is not quite at 100 percent, Oreo has come a long way from her initial intake and is proud of how far she has come.
06/04/24: Oreo is definitely on a mission to get back out to the ocean. He’s a strong swimmer in his hospital tank and loves to show off how fast he can zoom. He continues to sit well for his rehab team during wound care, and his little front flipper is healing fast. Oreo is also a huge veggie fan and makes sure to get every little piece. Stay tuned for more updates on Oreo as his continues to improve during his stay.
07/09/24: All of Oreo’s hard work is paying off, this last week Dr. Norton approved Oreo to be cleared from his medications and begin practicing for his Swim Test! Great job Oreo! In the coming days Oreo will undergo a pre-release exam, this will check to make sure Oreo is healthy and strong to be approved for release. In the meantime he will need to study for his swim test which he must pass to be released back into the wild. A Swim Test is composed of three things: they must have 1 good eye, 3 working flippers, and be a strong swimmer to out run their main predator Sharks. Oreo is already ahead of the game with two good eyes and four strong flippers! Now we just need to ensure he is healthy and can swim fast. This has been a long journey for Oreo and our team is so proud to see how far he has come. Make sure to cheer Oreo on during your next visit to The Turtle Hospital.
Did you know Sea Turtles can swim up to 30-35 mph to outrun their predators? Sea Turtles swim in short sprints at this speed to evade predators, and will return to their slow clam pace once safe.
Release
This little cutie has made quite the turn around, first arriving very unwell due to cold stunning along with Fibropapillomatosis (FP) tumors. Oreo was a very brave and strong young green sea turtle and has come out on top. We are proud to announce Oreo was transferred back to the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne Florida on July 19, 2024, where he was released locally back to the ocean. While we will miss Oreo, we are overjoyed that he is back in the wild where he belongs. Swim free Oreo!
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