RESEARCHTreatment of Turtle Shell Ulcerations Using Photopolymerizable Nano-Hybrid Dental Composite
Section snippets
Animals
Multiple shell ulcerations were diagnosed in 33 different species of turtles (Table 1): 14 red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), 5 yellow bellied sliders (Trachemys scripta scripta), 11 Sicilian pond turtles (Emys trinacris), 2 Florida red bellied cooters (Pseudemys nelsoni), and 1 Mississippi map turtles (Graptemys pseudogeographica kohnii). All turtles were presented to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital by their owners. The turtles, of various ages, were determined to be 19 females
Results
On average, 10 minutes of work was necessary to completely fill the cavities with the PDC. Some examples of the treatment results are shown in Figure 3. Follow-up examinations, divided by turtle species treated with composite, are described in Table 2. At 30 days posttreatment, 48.4% (16/33) of the treated turtles had the fillings separate from the lesions. At 60 days posttreatment, fillings had separated from the lesions in 78.7% (26/33) of the subject turtles. At 60 days posttreatment,
Discussion
To treat shell ulcerations, an aggressive surgical debridement of the necrotic tissue is recommended to stimulate the neovascularization of the tissues.20 In addition, local antimicrobial ointments could be applied to the lesions, however, this therapy must be combined with systemic antibiotic administration for 20 to 30 days to avoid reoccurrence of the disease condition. It is also recommended to provide supportive care to the chelonians that present with ulcerative shell lesions in the form
Conclusion
The treatment of shell ulcers with PDC provides an impermeable barrier on the shell lesion. The PDC appears to eliminate relapses of the shell disease condition, long and expensive antimicrobial treatment, and dry docking hospitalization, while promoting rapid healing of the shell lesions and a timely recovery of chelonian patients.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the nursing staff and the students for assistance and photos. The authors would also like to thank Dr. William Grech for his kind and accurate assistance in the English language review of this article. The study was performed in compliance with directive 2010/63/EU of the European parliament and of the Council of the European Union.
References (28)
Dermatology
Dermatology of reptiles: A clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment
Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract
(2001)Shell damage
- et al.
Wound management in reptiles
Vet Clin N Am Exot Anim Pract
(2004) Vesicular, ulcerative, and necrotic dermatitis of reptiles
Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract
(2013)- et al.
Clinical approach to dermatologic disease in exotic animals
Vet Clin North Am Exot Anim Pract
(2013) Clinical technique: Chelonian shell repair
J Exot Pet Med
(2008)Resin composite—State of the art
Dent Mater
(2011)State of the art: Dental photocuring. A review
Dent Mater
(2011)- et al.
Dermatology
Cutaneous dyskeratosis in free-ranging desert tortoises, Gopherus agassizii, in the Colorado desert of southern California
J Zoo Wildl Med
Bacterial diseases of reptiles
Case 269, multifocal shelled ulceration in soft-shelled turtles
Comparison of therapeutic protocols used for shell wound repair in red-eared sliders
Exotic DVM
Cited by (6)
Damaged armour: Ichnotaxonomy and paleoparasitology of bioerosion lesions in osteoderms of Quaternary extinct armadillos
2021, Journal of South American Earth SciencesCitation Excerpt :As syn vivo traces, they are useful to access the health of armoured animals and the description of these new ichnotaxa are the establishment of a tool that can be applied to other individuals or even populations, whether of Cingulata or other armoured animals. The traces described here were produced syn vivo, and as a living tissue, an osteoderm can respond to injury healing (Bryant and Bellairs, 1967; Alexander et al., 1999; Sos, 2012; Maas, 2013; Barbosa and Luna, 2014; Vickaryous et al., 2015; Zonneveld et al., 2015; Spadola and Morici, 2016; 2017; Biaggini and Corti, 2018; De Lima and Porpino, 2018; Alibardi, 2019; Sato and Jenkins, 2020), therefore potentially modifying the morphology of a trace. There is an ongoing discussion about the ichnotaxonomical status of traces on responsive substrates (see Bertling et al., 2006; Zonneveld et al., 2015; Wisshak et al., 2019) and here we endorse the definition given by Wisshak et al. (2019, p.24), considering as bioerosions those cases where ‘bioerosive action is predominant and identified as largely independent from the host reaction‘".
Orthopedics in Reptiles and Amphibians
2019, Veterinary Clinics of North America - Exotic Animal PracticeCitation Excerpt :Comparison of VAC and traditional bandages has not been reported in chelonians. For partial-thickness, ulcerative shell lesions, photopolymerizable nanohybrid dental composite can be used to close the wounds in addition to local and systemic antibiotics and analgesics as needed.78 Healing may be expected within 3 months.78
Shell Surgery and Repair
2019, Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and SurgeryDermatology—Shell
2019, Mader's Reptile and Amphibian Medicine and SurgeryOverview of Drug Delivery Methods in Exotics, Including Their Anatomic and Physiologic Considerations
2018, Veterinary Clinics of North America - Exotic Animal PracticeCitation Excerpt :In amphibians, bandages or classic topical antibiotics are of little value and can even be toxic given the extreme permeability of the amphibian skin. However, the local application of hypertonic saline or baths in electrolyte solutions offers some kind of wound antiseptic and temporary liquid bandages (such as products used in dentistry) can provide a barrier against osmotic loss and wound protection.4,15,196 Finally, in fish, a wound should generally be treated open with surgical debridement under anesthesia and can be packed with a protective sealant, because suturing is frequently impractical owing to skin tension.
The use of silver amalgam for treatment of shell ulcerations in turtles: 60 cases
2017, Journal of Small Animal Practice