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Tortoise cesarean? Any advice?

2K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  SueBoyle 
#1 ·
Hi all,

Only just signed up here but have been reading the forums since I've had my tortoises and the site has been very useful!

One of my tortoises has laid 2 eggs and x-rays have shown she has 2 more inside of her waiting to come out. However, these are proving difficult and do not seem to be budging! The vet we take our tortoises to has mentioned the possibility of cesarean if she does not lay, because of the difficulties that may arise if she doesn't.

I have never come across or had any experience with a tortoise cesarean before so I was wondering if anyone had any advice at all? Or any tips on after-care? Or even if it is fair on the tortoise in the first place? (as i'm not sure how complicated of a procedure it is.)

I'd be grateful for any input anyone has :)
Joe
 
#2 · (Edited)
I would hope that oxytocin would do the trick as I know they can increase the normal dose if the tortoise is egg bound

There are a couple of vets on here that hopefully will be able to advise you

I would say any procedure that has to penetrate the shell would be quite serious but if it did come to it then I'm sure she will be fine x
Good luck
 
#3 ·
Hi all,

Only just signed up here but have been reading the forums since I've had my tortoises and the site has been very useful!

One of my tortoises has laid 2 eggs and x-rays have shown she has 2 more inside of her waiting to come out. However, these are proving difficult and do not seem to be budging! The vet we take our tortoises to has mentioned the possibility of cesarean if she does not lay, because of the difficulties that may arise if she doesn't.

I have never come across or had any experience with a tortoise cesarean before so I was wondering if anyone had any advice at all? Or any tips on after-care? Or even if it is fair on the tortoise in the first place? (as i'm not sure how

complicated of a procedure it is.)

I'd be grateful for any input anyone has :)

Joe
Sounds like you need a different vet.
As oxytocin usually works well.
As long as your tortoise has a suitable laying area, it's far better they lay naturally. As oxytocin can cause problems in some torts.
Even if it's next year.
Mine regularly carry eggs over to next year.
 
#4 ·
I have known of tortoises having eggs removed that are well on the way down, by breaking via the cloaca and being removed that way if they are just large, followed by flushing and a course of antibiotics to prevent infection of the sort that can be caused by accidental breakage prior to or during laying. I would make sure of how capable your vet is before going ahead with anything so invasive as cutting into the shell, although it is done pretty often for many reasons with success by good veterinarians ;)
I would have thought if they were still high up, they should be left. Oxytocin can damage a tortoise if given to excess and is usually accompanied by calcium therapy ;) One of my tortoises was treated twice by a vet and suffered with egg laying for several years afterwards. She is now fine, but it could easily have gone the other way.
Good luck
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the replies!

She has been given the oxytocin, which originally helped the first two eggs come out. The vet did state that they'd only give her so much oxytocin, which is why they mentioned the possibility of a c-section if things don't go as planned.

@SueBoyle if it does have to be done then I'll be sure to get a second opinions on our vet, along with a a few from fellow tortoise owners and their vets - I was concerned about the after-effects of the operation! Thanks for the advice :)

She'll be back from the vets later today so hopefully with have an update then!
 
#7 ·
Having eggs surgically removed should only be done as the very last resort. And should be left until next year.
Just because she has eggs does not mean she has to lay them now.
Unless of course her Heath is at risk. But this is very rare.
 
#8 ·
Having eggs surgically removed should only be done as the very last resort. And should be left until next year.
Just because she has eggs does not mean she has to lay them now.
Unless of course her Heath is at risk. But this is very rare.

I agree. Sadly I listened to a vet who thought if they were there at the end of the season, they needed to be laid. I cannot go back and do it again and would not go back to the same vet again anyway, despite my having had faith in them for several years, but I would strongly urge you to ask your vet about the positioning of the eggs, before taking further action. If your vet is an exotics specialist, then fair enough, but if just a vet with an interest in torts, then I would be very careful about letting them do something so risky.
I'm wondering why the vets have kept her in really, unless you have specifically asked them to. Are they part of a group of vets, with possible targets? Just a thought ;)
 
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