Patient #24-3000

On July 27, a good samaritan noticed a Snapping Turtle along the James River in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is quite common to see Snapping Turtles in or along waterways – however, this rescuer noticed a green fishing line coming from the turtle's mouth, which led to suspicions that the turtle had been previously caught by someone fishing and cut loose. The Snapping Turtle was brought to the Wildlife Center for evaluation, which made this animal the Center's 3,000th patient of the year!

The Center's veterinary team quickly got to work examining the Snapping Turtle, who proved to be bright, alert, and feisty. Along with the fishing line extending from the turtle's mouth, the veterinary team discovered a small laceration on the turtle's upper left eyelid. After running bloodwork, vets also determined the turtle was suffering from lead toxicosis, or lead poisoning.

Shortly after the turtle's physical exam, radiographs were taken to visualize where the fish hook was in the turtle's body. Vets were surprised to find not just one fish hook located between the turtle's esophagus and stomach, but a second hook located in its intestines! The following day, the turtle was sedated for surgery and the veterinary team was able to successfully remove the hook in the turtle's esophagus using an endoscope. Unfortunately, the hook inside the turtle's intestines was unable to be safely retrieved. Due to the second hook's tricky location, the vet team did not want to risk damaging the turtle's intestinal tract in the process of removing the hook. The turtle was started on a course of pain medications, antibiotics, and fluids, as well as chelation therapy to address the high lead levels in the turtle's blood. The vet team will continue to monitor the turtle's attitude and appetite for issues relating to the remaining fish hook in its system, which should slowly dissolve over time. The incision from the surgery will also be checked daily to ensure the site does not become infected or inflamed.

Although we most often see lead toxicosis in eagles and other birds of prey, scavengers of all species and animals that spend time in or near water can also be affected. Lead toxicosis is a condition in which an animal ingests lead, either by consuming carrion containing remnants of lead bullets or by ingesting lead fishing gear. In these cases, the lead is metabolized and enters the animal's bloodstream. It's likely that this Snapping Turtle had high lead levels in its blood due to consuming the two lead fish hooks.

It's important to dispose of fishing gear properly, as abandoned fishing gear of all types can negatively affect wildlife in various ways. Of course, animals can ingest fish hooks, especially if there is still bait attached, but hooks can also pierce an animal's body and cause damage even without the animal attempting to swallow the hook. Additionally, animals can become entangled in undisposed fishing line or netting, leading to constriction injuries, exhaustion from trying to escape, starvation, dehydration, and ultimately death. For more information on how fishing gear affects wildlife and what you can do to help, visit our Help & Advice page on the topic. For information on how lead toxicosis affects wildlife, visit our Lead Poisoning page.