Turtle upon admission into Hospital.

1/29 This turtle was found floating near Boca Grande by a fisher-person. Turtle has old injuries that are healed on its carapace and a newer injury on its plastron (lower shell). Old injury includes possible paralysis of rear flippers causing what is sometimes called "bubble-butt." Have started on fluids and antibiotics. 1/30 Turtle was placed in shallow water overnight and did well. No interest in eating yet, however. 2/4 Turtle finally began eating this morning. 2/13 Turtle's appetite is good and seems to be doing better. 3/4 Doing better except for floating. 3/13 More of the same. Planning an MRI in the near future to investigate spinal injury. 3/24 We are moving the turtle into much deeper water to begin training the turtle to dive to the bottom and stay on the bottom. 4/8 Turtle is now in deep water and is regularly diving to the bottom and eating off the bottom. 4/12 Turtle continues to do very well in deep water. MRI was performed today at Bowes Imaging Center. 4/30 Turtle is doing well in deep water, but is not yet resting on the bottom. Turtle will have to begin resting on the bottom before it can be released. 5/17 Turtle is still not resting on the bottom. We are going to try an experimental treatment of attaching some weights to the back of the turtle's carapace to see if we can level out the turtle. If so, we would gradually remove the weight to allow for later release. 5/22 With about 300 grams of weight on its caudal carapace, the turtle is now able to rest on the bottom of the tank. 5/30 Turtle continues to rest on the bottom. May try to reduce the weights next week. 6/20 Weights were reduced and then removed completely. Turtle is now occasionally resting on the bottom without any weights. Doing very well overall. 7/1 Turtle had to be put back into shallow water and is sometimes floating again. 7/25 Doing OK in the shallow water, but we hope to move turtle back to deep water very soon. 8/28 Turtle is finally back in deep water and is diving fairly well. Still not resting on the bottom, however. 9/26 Turtle is doing well, but continues to float, so it will be declared unreleasable and will go to a facility where there is no risk of it being struck by a boat again. 11/25 Turtle is unreleasable, however still looking for a permenant home for it. 12/22 Turtle has been moved to a deeper tank and is resting under a ledge. 1/5 Turtle still will rest on the bottom under the ledge; will remove some of the ledge next week to see if turtle will rest on bottom without ledge 1/26 Turtle was moved to a smaller tank due to the cool weather. Not resting on the bottom. FWC is still looking for a permenent home for this turtle. 2/27 Turtle will be transported to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha Nebraska as soon as arrangements can be made. 5-1 On Friday, May1, Teddy moved to the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, where he will become acclimated and then move into his new home. Read more about his move.