Southcentral Division 2021

Signalment:Adult female red-eared slider turtle

History:This turtle was brought to the Texas A&M Zoological service for removal of a fishhook in the cervical esophagus. When endoscopically examined, the turtle was discovered to have perforations in the esophagus and suspected in the stomach; plans were made for plastronotomy the following day. The turtle was found dead the following morning.

Gross Lesions:The esophagus was punctured by a 4 cm long fishhook with exit points 10 cm and 7.5 cm distal to the oral cavity, with associated fibrin and mucosal hemorrhage and necrosis. In addition, approximately ten 1.8 to 2 cm long, thin, white parasites with curled tails were spread throughout the proximal small intestinal mucosa. At the sites of infestation, the small intestinal mucosa was mottled yellow to bright red (enteritis).