SPECIES: Tortoise
RAZZA: Herman’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri)
GENDER: female
AGE: 20 YO
NAME: Briosa
Clinical case:
The tortoise is taken for an emergency visit after being attacked in the garden by two rodents (rats) during hibernation.
The visit shows a 2-cm diameter wound, around the cloacal region, with loss of tissue, necrosis of the surrounding tissue and contamination by faeces and earth.
Therapy:
The tortoise was hospitalised and underwent surgical cleaning of the wound under local anaesthetic.
Medical treatment consisted in antibiotics and systemic rehydration.
MLS® Laser Therapy with the «Wound (infected)» programme was begun.
MLS® Laser Therapy was carried out once a day using the «Wound (infected)» programme, one point, holding the handpiece half a centimetre away from the lesion for 40 seconds. The wound was cleaned and disinfected every 12 hours and an antibiotic cream applied.
The patient remained in hospital in an incubator at 28°C and treatment lasted for 20 consecutive days. On the seventh day, the tortoise began feeding independently.
Conclusion:
Topical treatments and MLS® Laser Therapy continued until the wound was completely healed, after about 35 days.
The combined use of traditional therapy with MLS® Laser Therapy enabled resolving the situation in a fast and effective manner.
Courtesy of Dr.Giordano Nardini, DECZM (Herpetology), Clinica Veterinaria Modena Sud - Modena, Italy