Animal rescues care for plenty of dogs and cats, but sometimes, they get different types of animals that are in need of veterinary care. When a tortoise with a cracked shell ended up at the San Diego Department of Animal Services, the veterinarians were shocked by how severe the crack was.
The turtle was large, and the crack had almost split his shell in two.
Still, they did everything they could to patch him up. They even used screws and zip ties. It wasn’t the conventional type of veterinary care, but it worked. They shared a post on their Facebook page about the tortoise and his shell.
The post said:
“Tortoise Animal control officers respond to calls of injured dogs and cats on a daily basis. But tortoises? Not so much.
“On April 15th, DAS responded to a veterinary hospital where we learned a dog had chased a tortoise and it fell over a ten-foot wall. The tortoise fell on his back causing severe damage to his shell.
“It will not necessarily take all the King’s horses or all the King’s men to put this animal back together again, but it will take a team of experts in tortoise care! As such, Animal Services transported the injured tortoise to a veterinarian that specializes in reptiles for emergency care and observation. While splinting an animal with an injured leg is commonplace, just how does one fix a broken shell on a tortoise?”
“Why, with a modified approach using screws, wire, epoxy, and saran wrap of course! The tortoise will be undergoing additional emergency care at the specialty hospital tomorrow and all of the costs for the care will be covered by the Department’s donation-driven Spirit Fund. Anyone interested in donating to the fund can do so at https://www.sddac.com/…/…/donate-volunteer/donate-money.html.”
The veterinary team is confident that Humpty will make a full recovery, and they are proud of the work they did on him.
Dan DeSousa, director of the department, talked about the process of repairing the shell. He said:
“We’ve seen a lot of tortoises and turtles, but nothing to the size or severity of Humpty’s injuries. We had to get his shell back together as soon as possible. Many of the pieces were raised, so they needed to be aligned back together. After that, they used screws and zip ties to hold everything in place for the healing process.”
Everyone has been wondering about Humpty, so the DAS posts updates about him on Facebook.
Of course, everyone wants to adopt this giant tortoise, but he isn’t going to be put up for adoption anytime soon.
The DAS posted:
“After about two hours of treatment at an outstanding veterinary hospital, Humpty is put back together again! It took some work to get the broken pieces of his shell back into position so that screws could be drilled into the shell and then tied together to provide stability. The cracks were then covered with the same material that dentures are made of. This material will help adhere the pieces together as well as seal the cracks. Due to his injuries and the extended care, the tortoise is not available for adoption but will be transferred to a rescue group that has the training and qualifications to provide the necessary care.”
His story made headlines and was covered by several local news stations. Everyone is intrigued by him and hopes that he recovers. Now that his shell has been fixed and he has people caring for him properly, it looks like he is going to have a long, healthy life ahead of him.
Due to his injuries and the extended care, the tortoise is not available for adoption but will be transferred to a rescue group that has the training and qualifications to provide the necessary care.
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DAS’ Spirit Fund to Provide Care for Injured Tortoise
Animal control officers respond to calls of injured dogs and cats…
Posted by County of San Diego Department of Animal Services on Monday, April 16, 2018
