Sea Turtle Undergoes Michael Jackson Treatment, Sleeps In Hyperbaric Chamber

When Michael Jackson started sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber, it was just another moment in his eccentric life.

When Kahuna, a female sea turtle, started doing the same thing, it was to help her recover from serious flipper injuries.

Last August, Kahuna was found near Hutchinson Island in South Florida with nearly 60 percent of her front left flipper missing and several deep lacerations on her right front flipper, WPTV.com reports.

Veterinarians at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida, have spent the last nine months trying to rehabilitate her using antibiotics, vitamins and surgery.

However, the Kahuna's future is still uncertain because osteomyelitis, a type of unresolved bone infection, is present in both front flippers, causing the turtle to become unstable without antibiotics.

So now the Center is trying something new in hopes of getting Kahuna out of her metaphorical shell and back in the game: hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a treatment in which a patient, whether human or, in this case, turtle, breathes 100 percent oxygen intermittently while inside a pressurized treatment chamber.

Although the science behind the success of hyperbaric therapy is not widely understood, it has been used to treat bone infections in humans and other animals, such as horses.

But not turtles. At least, not until now.

Veterinarian Meg Miller believes there's no reason the therapy can't work on Kahuna as well as humans.

"I think it's a great idea. We've been talking about trying it for six months," Miller said. "It took this long to get it in the works, but there are a lot of turtles out there that can't be released."

Because the treatment is untried on turtles, some adaptations had to be made. Kahuna is spending much of the next two weeks at the Equine Hyperbaric Center of South Florida at Reid and Associates, which has a chamber specifically designed for horses.

According to Loggerhead Marinelife Center spokeswoman Brittany Miller, Kahuna goes to the equine center three times a week, which requires employees to lift the 183-pound sea turtle into a box and drive her to the chamber about 45 minutes away.

"Veterinarians are monitoring her progress to adjust the treatments accordingly," Miller told AOL Weird News. "Based on diagnostics, the treatments could continue for any length of time. It's hard to say because this is experimental with sea turtles."

"There is no standard sea turtle protocol published for hyperbaric oxygen treatments," Miller explained. "Our treatment plan is loosely based on the hyperbaric oxygen treatments that have successfully worked on other animal species."

The first treatment began on June 3 and, though results are preliminary, Kahuna seems to be taking to it swimmingly, according to hospital coordinator Melissa Ranly.

"She seems to be responding really well, and her comfort level has gotten a lot better, and we're really hoping that this will achieve the results we're looking for," Ranly said.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy isn't the only offbeat treatment the Loggerhead Marinelife Center is trying in its efforts to help the area's sea turtles.

Earlier this year, the center had a orthodontist repair the massive hole in the shell of a sea turtle named "Andre," who is expected to be released later this summer.

WATCH:

Comments

[Rharte]

12:41 AM on 06/09/2011

This is a rather 'cheap' approach to what could otherwise be an interesting story. I just don't see the point in bringing MJ into this since it has nothing to do with him. Stay classy, guys, and keep milking that cow for all it's worth. Sheesh.

[FTracy3]

05:43 PM on 06/07/2011

If his vet's name is Dr. Conrad Murray that turtle better run like hell.

[CatherineCoy]

04:40 PM on 06/07/2011

As Bugs Bunny says, "What a maroon!" Because that's what you are, Mr. Moye, if you think, "Michael Jackson slept in a hyperbaric chamber." That tabloid tidbit, among others, was debunked a long time ago by the director of the burn center where Mr. Jackson DONATED the chamber to the center's burn unit. The burn center was named in his honor until it closed in 1987.

http://articles.latimes.com/1987-08-29/business/fi-1391_1_brotman-medical-center

Mr. Jackson climbed into the chamber as a prank, got his photo taken and the rest is tabloid history. I'm not surprised that you, Mr. Moye, would invoke Mr. Jackson's name for the sole purpose of getting more hits on your otherwise (yawn!) only slightly interesting story. But shame on you, anyway.

[CAFANDMLF]

01:50 PM on 06/07/2011

Good God- I expect better from the Huffington Post. Do some basic research. He donated this
hyperbaric chamber and wanted to see what the inside was like, as he had used one when he himself was burned. This is the kind of "journalism" that hounded him all his life, broke his spirit and his soul and finally killed him. You should be ashamed.

[Rebbent]

01:28 PM on 06/07/2011

Mr. Moye, you sound like what the Brits call "an ignorant git" when you state that Michael Jackson sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber "was just another moment in his eccentric life." First, because he didn't. Second, because his life really should not be summed up by small minds as "eccentric" when it was so much more--inspiring, creative, paradigm-shifting, brilliant...Third, it is tiresome to see his name invoked by bloggers and "journalists" who can't get hits any other way BUT by invoking his name, usually by lazily copying and pasting the ideas of other tiresome writers who couldn't understand the real Jackson if they tried--which they don't.

[Ben 971]

12:59 PM on 06/07/2011

It's a cute story. I really wish Kahuna the best. I like it when humans actually use their technology to help animals. There's no need to make choices between animals and men. I believe all can and should be helped when it's possible.
That being said, it's also a really lame way to attract readers by using Michael Jackson's name in a story that has absolutely nothing to do with him. It's become kind of a trend with some journalists out there. It's sad because it just shows you didnt do much research before using his name, and you, as a professional writer, not only reads, but believes and spreads tabloid trash.
All the people out there who know a little about Mr Jackson know he never slept in an oxygen chamber. I'm not going to explain what others have done quite well here before me.
By the way, he never bought the elephant man's bones, and had vitiligo. And he didnt die of drug overdose.

[sunkeeper49]

12:53 PM on 06/07/2011

Well Mr. Moye You've got it all wrong. Michael did not sleep in a hyperbaric chamber. There goeos those tabloids again. "Just because you read it in a magazine or see it on the TV screen don't make it factual" Michael Joseph Jackson.

[jgneeley]

10:00 AM on 06/07/2011

David Moye obviously didn't do his research, I guess he needed to associate Michael's name to attract reader's, more of the same tabloid trash. If he knew anything about Michael Jackson he wouldn't write such garbage. Michael is the Greatest Humanitarian in the World. I guess no one told him not to speak ill of the dead, He should think of Michael's family, his mother and children before he made a false statement. I am here to protect Michael's Legacy. I'm so sick and tired of all the lies, he's dead because of people like this. STOP trashing Michael's name and leave Michael to Rest in Peace. "Just because you read it in a magazine or see on the TV screen don't make it factual" Michael Joseph Jackson

[dna user]

03:07 AM on 06/07/2011

Oh, please ! As a Diver Medic I can tell you that hyperbaric medicine is more useful than what Michael Jackson was using it for.

[thelizard king]

04:11 AM on 06/07/2011

he never used a hyperbolic chamber mr. im a diver medic -_-

[dna user]

10:28 AM on 06/07/2011

"hyperbolic," yes from my own experience those chambers are not prone to exaggerations. But that cylindrical thing Jackson is pictured in, IS a hyperbaric chamber. -Mr. I didn't know that, and now I'm going to try hard to deny it-

[Anne Mccormick]

12:05 AM on 06/07/2011

hey if the treatment works then good going.

[jackstpaul]

06:15 PM on 06/06/2011

Thousands of Americans die each year becasue they afford needed medical care (Institute of Medicine). There are tens of millions of unisured Americans. More than 20% of Americans skip getting a needed prescription filled each because they can't afford it. And on and on and on.

Is it a good use of money to go to such extraordianry and extravagant lengths to treat ONE sea turtle? No. There are plenty of human infants in the US and who aren't getting care they need. Some will die because of it. Spend the money and time on them.

[GoNoles03]

10:23 PM on 06/06/2011

Humans are not endangered animals. So yes, good use of money.

[sunkeeper49]

12:54 PM on 06/07/2011

If humans keep going the way they are today they will become endangered. Through their own fault.

[Rebbent]

01:32 PM on 06/07/2011

But then we'll only have billions of humans on the planet, and that will be just awful. Save the turtles. Let's leave a little bit of room for another species or two. Whaddaya say, Jack--shall we?

[GraphicMatt]

04:30 PM on 06/06/2011

Best of luck to Kahuna.......maybe when she's all healed up they can teach her to moonwalk.

[lmat]

04:14 PM on 06/06/2011

I'm not a writer for the Huff Post, nor am I a journalist, yet somehow I seem to know a little
more than Mr. Moye. I know that Jackson never 'slept' in an oxygen chamber; that he suffered
severe burns to his scalp in the early 80's and that the photo above was taken at the Brotman
Medical Center where he was treated. Brotman was the recipient of Jackson's donation of
$1.5 million dollars and the 'Michael Jackson Burn Unit' was established there. As a non
journalist I believe that information is important and, oh yeah, must be the truth. Come to think of it, if I was a writer for the Huff Post, I would not attempt to attract viewers by usurping the name of a deceased person who was so much more than 'eccentric'. Let's try: lifelong humanitarian, conservationist, social activist, unique artist and wonderful father. As a humble non-writer I would do my homework and refrain from even a subtle attempt at dredging up old, tired descriptives such as Mr. Moye uses here. But, hey, he's the writer. He also happens to be misinformed.

[thelizard king]

04:12 PM on 06/06/2011

now speaking on the turtle, that's actually kinda cool i like turtles very much i have 2 and well this is cool that they are treating this turtle well

[NellieO231]

03:38 PM on 06/06/2011

FYI...Michael Jackson NEVER slept in a hyperbaric chamber. That photo was taken at the burn center that he had been treated at after the "Pepsi fire". He donated the $1.5 million settlement that he received from Pepsi to the burn center. They purchased equipment, beds etc. and renamed it "The Michael Jackson Burn Center" At a press conference it was suggested that he get in one of the chambers for a snapshot. The for-profit-media used this as another opportunity to make Jackson look like some kind of "eccentric" freak. This kind of treatment went on his entire life and it's what drove him to his eventual death. Using his name attracts attention and I am sure that's why the author used it but please stop lying about the man. He is gone. Have some respect.