TY - JOUR
T1 - Neurologic examination of sea turtles
AU - Chrisman, Cheryl L.
AU - Walsh, Michael
AU - Meeks, John C.
AU - Zurawka, Heidi
AU - LaRock, Richard
AU - Herbst, Larry
AU - Schumacher, Juergen
PY - 1997/10/15
Y1 - 1997/10/15
N2 - Objective - To determine whether neurologic examination techniques established for use on dogs and cats could be adapted for use on sea turtles. Design - Prospective controlled observational study. Animals - 4 healthy Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas), 1 healthy Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempi), and 6 Green Turtles suspected to have neurologic abnormalities. Procedure - Neurologic examinations were performed while sea turtles were in and out of the water and in ventral and dorsal recumbency. Mentation, general activity, head and body posture, movement and coordination, thoracic and pelvic limb movement, strength and muscle tone, and tail movement were observed. Thoracic and pelvic limb flexor reflexes and nociception, righting response, cranial nerve reflexes, clasp and cloacal reflexes, and neck, dorsal scute, cloacal, and tail nociception were tested. Results - Results of neurologic evaluations were consistent for healthy sea turtles. Sea turtles suspected to have neurologic abnormalities had abnormal results. Clinical Implications - Many of the neurologic examination techniques used to evaluate dogs and cats can be adapted and used to evaluate sea turtles. A standardized neurologic examination should result in an accurate assessment of neurologic function in impaired sea turtles and should help in evaluating effects of rehabilitation efforts and suitability for return to their natural environment.
AB - Objective - To determine whether neurologic examination techniques established for use on dogs and cats could be adapted for use on sea turtles. Design - Prospective controlled observational study. Animals - 4 healthy Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas), 1 healthy Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempi), and 6 Green Turtles suspected to have neurologic abnormalities. Procedure - Neurologic examinations were performed while sea turtles were in and out of the water and in ventral and dorsal recumbency. Mentation, general activity, head and body posture, movement and coordination, thoracic and pelvic limb movement, strength and muscle tone, and tail movement were observed. Thoracic and pelvic limb flexor reflexes and nociception, righting response, cranial nerve reflexes, clasp and cloacal reflexes, and neck, dorsal scute, cloacal, and tail nociception were tested. Results - Results of neurologic evaluations were consistent for healthy sea turtles. Sea turtles suspected to have neurologic abnormalities had abnormal results. Clinical Implications - Many of the neurologic examination techniques used to evaluate dogs and cats can be adapted and used to evaluate sea turtles. A standardized neurologic examination should result in an accurate assessment of neurologic function in impaired sea turtles and should help in evaluating effects of rehabilitation efforts and suitability for return to their natural environment.
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M3 - Article
C2 - 9343552
AN - SCOPUS:0031572530
SN - 0003-1488
VL - 211
SP - 1043
EP - 1047
JO - Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
JF - Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
IS - 8
ER -