Inquiry on the presence of coelomic free fluid in healthy red-footed tortoises (Chelonoidis carbonaria) by ultrasound examination

• Grant number: 17/20017-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): October 01, 2018
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Maria Jaqueline Mamprim de Arruda Monteiro
• Grantee: Raquel Cuba Gaspar
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The tortoises are reptiles widely distributed through South America and is present in basically every Brazilian biomes. The specie are acquisition as a pet, especially for your meek temperament, which increased his presence in routine clinical veterinary care. However, few studies describe imaging diagnosis and due to the anatomical specificities of the species, such as carapace and plastron, this type of evaluation becomes essential to access the coelom. Among the imaging modalities, ultrasonography is an important tool because it allows an impression of structures that are not possible to see in the radiographic examination, besides being non-invasive, not using ionizing radiation and being easy to access to the use of portable devices. However, in relation to wildlife, there is still a shortage of knowledge about of normality, which may compromise the accuracy of the definitive diagnosis. This project aims to investigate the frequency of free fluid in the coelom and the pericardium of healthy chelonians of the species Chelonoidis carbonaria from the Medical and Wildlife Research Center (CEMPAS) of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechny, FMVZ/UNESP - Botucatu. The data here obtained may contribute to a more accurate diagnosis in the clinical car of chelonians.