Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008

Seven tortoises die of injuries from fire

Despite a large dose of love and top-notch veterinarian care, seven of the 12 giant pet tortoises burned in a November fire at a Modesto home have succumbed to their injuries.

The fire and its aftermath have made for a bittersweet holiday season for tortoise owners Jack and Anna Benenati. The Benenatis have raised some of the reptiles since they were hatchlings nearly 20 years ago.

The night before Thanksgiving, a fire ravaged the Benenatis' backyard greenhouse, where the tortoises slept. The reptiles survived, but many suffered major burns.

Local vets were closed Thanksgiving or unable to treat tortoises, which are considered an exotic species. The Benenatis drove the most severely injured to the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine's teaching hospital.

At first, the tortoises treated at UC Davis showed promising signs, said senior vet Marilyn Koski. Their skin and shells were charred, but their bodies continued to function.

Internal wounds eventually felled the animals, Koski said. Postmortem examinations revealed that the heat of the fire damaged the tortoises' lungs and intestines. With those organs unable to function properly, bodily systems shut down, leading to pneumonia and other problems, said Koski.

Five remain alive

Seven of the nine tortoises treated at UC Davis have died. Of the three the Benenatis have been caring for at home, all have survived.

Among the dead are the Benenatis' two oldest tortoises, a 17-year-old female named Big Mama and her mate, Big Daddy. Both were jumbo-sized sulcata tortoises. The male's shell spanned about two feet; he weighed about 160 pounds.

The survivors include a tortoise the Benenatis call Baby Huey. Only nine years old, he weighs in at 180 pounds. He's big enough that a small child can ride on his back, which makes him a favorite with kids, said Benenati. He sometimes took Baby Huey to visit schools.

Baby Huey now is recovering at home. He wasn't eating well on his own, so UC Davis vets implanted a feeding tube in his esophagus. Every day, Benenati injects the tube with 400 milliliters of food specially formulated for herbivores healing from a traumatic injury.

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Jack Benenati, a retired Raley's grocery clerk, said he's been moved by the support he's received since news of the burned tortoises broke. Strangers have driven to the Benenatis' house and handed them cash.

Benenati said he's collected about $600 in donations, all of which he'll forward to UC Davis. He's sending the money to the school's fund- raising department, not to pay for his tortoises' care, he said.

A hefty bill awaits

The school gave the Benenatis a discount on the tortoises' treatment, but the final bill probably will reach $6,000 or $7,000, Benenati said.

News of the tortoises' plight prompted about $370 in donations to UC Davis' Adam Fund for indigent reptiles, said UC Davis development director Tom Venturino.

Koski said treating the reptiles was an invaluable learning experience for her students.

"It's a sad story, but because of (the Benenatis') fast work and courageous effort, these animals were alleviated pain and they were given a chance," she said.

"It also allowed us to learn so much to help future reptiles and future patients. He's really to be applauded for all he's done for reptiles."

Bee staff writer Leslie Albrecht can be reached at lalbrecht@modbee.com or 578-2378.