Yellowfoot xray

[Meganolvt]

I javen't xrayed him since the last one I posted. I need to do it again, but first I have to pay my bill (just cleaned my 17 year old dog's teeth). He's doing fine though, no signs at all that he is carrying around a bunch of rocks/uroliths. When I xray him again, I will post it. But for now, here's a pic I took 2 days ago

 

[Meganolvt]

Roland update: took another xray of Roland today. Looks the same! He's still doing fine though, you'd never know it.

 

[MPRC]

Huh, so he looks the same and nothing has even moved. It makes me really want to get my critters x-rayed just to see theirsoft squishy insides. I really miss working at the vets office.

 

[Yvonne G]

Have you tried mineral oil? Don't just put mineral oil in the tortoise's mouth, as he might aspirate it. Take a romaine lettuce leaf and spread a little mineral oil on it then roll it up like a burrito. Hand feed him from one end of the burrito. Or you can put the oil on anything that you know for sure the tortoise will eat.

Mineral oil is non-absorptive, so it just lubricates all the pipes and makes it easier for things to pass through.

I looked at both your x-rays side-by-side, and the rock configuration is different. Eating rocks, or more naturally, food containing seeds, is natural for this species. I would try the mineral oil burrito, and as long as he seems healthy otherwise, eating, etc. then don't worry. But add foods containing seeds to his diet.

 

[Meganolvt]

We still think it is bladder stones, and the fact that they are jumbling but not moving down kind of confirms that. It's just unusual because you normally see one big stone instead of all these little ones, but I don't know his age or upbringing (which was obviously bad judging by his saddle shell). Maybe there's something in upbringing that contributes to multiple stones instead of one, but who would know? Anyone who does things so obviously incorrect probably doesn't take their tort to get xrayed. Hopefully those little stones just stay put and don't go trying to escape. Unfortunately there are special diets for stone dissolution in cats and dogs, but not torts.

 

[MPRC]

Unfortunately there are special diets for stone dissolution in cats and dogs, but not torts.

Trying to get dogs to eat the Hills Rx Diet for dissolving the stones was the bane of my existence for a bit there. Even then it rarely worked. Since there are many different types of stones I wonder if he has something other than the common types seen in torts.

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, I disagree, but your vet obviously knows best. If you try the mineral oil burrito, it won't hurt anything, and just may prove to your vet that he's wrong.

 

[Meganolvt]

Trying to get dogs to eat the Hills Rx Diet for dissolving the stones was the bane of my existence for a bit there. Even then it rarely worked. Since there are many different types of stones I wonder if he has something other than the common types seen in torts.

I've seen better compliance with Royal Canin SO in dogs.

 

[MPRC]

I've seen better compliance with Royal Canin SO in dogs.

We used that as well. I seem to remember it costing a lot more when I was working at the clinic so a lot of people tried Hills first. At least the C/D is palatable.