Wrong on every thing so far! (Update - we had the surgery- warning graphic pictures)

Fredkas

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Oh need a lot of update on this. Any new news? I am saving your tortoise pics, maybe even screen capturing this thread. Thank you for giving updates.
 

efrey18

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We actually did a boat load of research, consulted with many specialists and performed the surgery at our clinic (we do many odd ball/off the wall surgeries). We've done many cystotomies, this was just our first tortoise cystotomy. My heart was pounding the whole time to be honest. The surgery really went flawless. The shell cutting was the hardest part. And the stone was much bigger than anticipated because, well, x-rays aren't really three dimentional, so we had to break it up as shown. He is handling post-op as anticipated. He is painful, as most cystotomies are. He is getting pain medication (meloxicam) as well as antibiotics. He has some interest in eating but I think my overbearing motherness is making him not want to so he shys away again. Or it could also be the pain meds interfering with his appetite. It is a slow recovery. Anesthesia alone can take up to 96 hours to recover! We epoxy-ied the bottom of his shell up. And vet wrapped around it to allow for it to dry efficiently, and over time the vet wrap will wear away. I have a ton of photos on my good camera as well! If all goes well, hopefully we can add another vet to the list to take care of these wonderful creatures during surgery!
 

efrey18

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Hoping this video posts. Keeping meals light, watery, and appetizing. 36 hours post-op!
 

MPRC

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Hoping this video posts. Keeping meals light, watery, and appetizing. 36 hours post-op!

Videos usually have to be linked from a host like Youtube, Vimeo or Photobucket.
 

Fredkas

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Keep the pics and vids coming.
He should be allright!!
My little sulcata just poop out a stone. I am so relieved.
 

efrey18

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He still has some stones in his intensitines but he passed a few of them. We didn't want to do a double surgery because the recovery would be ridiculously painful. Today antibiotics and pain meds are extremely difficult to get into him. I only brought enough injectibles home for two nights. It's still just a bunch of sleep for now. He ate some yesterday which is a good sign. I have an actual video of the shell cutting but I'm not quite sure how to upload it to YouTube! Below is a screen cap of the shell cutting (sorry, it's not for the weak stomached). And below that is post-op 36 hours (keeping meals light and watery). Will get on my laptop in a few minutes and post a bunch of photos.IMG_6432.PNGIMG_6433.PNG
 

efrey18

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Let me clarify I brought home injectibles for two nights and then the rest oral. So hopefully I can get him to eat something with the meds in them. If not a trip to work will be made. Before I post a bunch of these photos, are there any rules regarding the gruesomeness of surgery photos? I don't want to offend anyone.
 

Fredkas

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Let me clarify I brought home injectibles for two nights and then the rest oral. So hopefully I can get him to eat something with the meds in them. If not a trip to work will be made. Before I post a bunch of these photos, are there any rules regarding the gruesomeness of surgery photos? I don't want to offend anyone.
Oh i hope not. I am dying to see all of them :D. Let's see what senior members say.
 

Tom

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Interesting thread.

I see a few misconceptions that I just wanted to point out.
-Male sulcatas can reach maturity, defined as the ability to produce viable offspring, at 18 months in some cases. 3-4 years is the norm.
-Sulcatas were not widely available in this country until around 1990. There are very few exceptions to this. So it is extremely unlikely that anybody out there has a 50-60 year old one.
-You had this surgery due to a bladder stone, but most people have this surgery due to ingestion of foreign bodies. I've seen it a bunch. That is one of the primary reasons we harp on people for letting them roam loose in the house. That and temperature. This is a tropical species. They need warm ambient temps as well as a basking area. It is difficult to provide a basking area for any tortoise larger than 10-12 inches because the top of the carapace gets too hot and "slow-burns" while the rest of the tortoise remains too cold if it is in a normal room or on the cold floor.

Good luck on your surgery recovery, and I hope you get the housing and heating situation worked out.
 

Meganolvt

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What did you use to cut the shell? We've never done one of these at my clinic but i'm always trying to be prepared in case. Great pictures, thanks so much for posting!
 

jhwalker

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Wow... what was the mess it looks like concrete. I'm a newbie just learning. Does the shell grow back together eventually or does it require epoxy ?
 

efrey18

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IT was a bladder stone. It will take a long time for the shell to grow back but eventually it will. It's been three months and he's better than ever. Totally different tortoise! And we used the part of a dental machine that you use to cut through teeth when they are fused to the bone. Basically looks like a small table saw.
 

eric joranson

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I admire your strength during all of this; but I have to admit this has been a very interesting thread. Something we can all learn from. Thank you and hope for a speedy recovery.
 

Stuart S.

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This is a great Thread, thanks for sharing and major props for everything you and Izzy went through!
 

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