Suspect air in coelemic cavity. Has a good appetite despite his list. A portable X-Ray machine was used and blood was drawn from his tail. Additionally 19.2 Liters of air were aspirated from coelemic cavity. The source of leaking air seemed to have self repaired.
Pepper is now able to remain submerged in a natural position.
Now for some reason Pepper has lost some scute protection, exposing bone. Due to sepsis, a major infection, body fluids collected between bone and scutes, lifting the scutes and a thin layer of bone. So it would seem. Just weeks from release, Pepper receives flipper and PIT tags, and gives a small blood sample, reluctantly.