prolapse & mixed messages

lismar79

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Harley the ten lb ten yr old Sulcata rescue, that I have had since October (with mbd) penis prolapsed Friday night. Not knowing what it is or if its bad I called my vet ( who of course wasn't in) & got an emergency clinic for exotic pets (Akron Animal hosp) They kept him over night & sutured him. Vet called yesterday & said they are trying a anti-inflammatory to see if it helps it go back in. If not I might have to put him to sleep because he will continue to have problems & be in pain.....

Vet also said because Harley's shell in concaved (bad case of mbd) pressure might be too much on spine & nerves-Now I had taken Harley to his reg vet & he did an xray & told me this did not appear to be an issue...

This new vet said I would need a CT scan that cost $1000 to be able to tell that.

Anyone know who's right?????

I have had Harley to the vets almost every week in the last month.
He quite using his legs all the time, has a bacterial infection & his apatite has steadily decreased to nothing in the last three days. I also noticed he was not flashing me at all in the last week & a half & he normal does in soaks every day. Please, if any one has any advise here, I would appreciate it.
I am doing the best I can to learn & properly take care of the little guy but am not experienced in tort health & issues.
 

Yvonne G

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First they told you they sutured, then they told you they were giving anti inflammatory drugs to help the prolapse go back in?????

Here's what happens: They get the penis back in however they can, usually by manipulation, THEN they suture a purse-string suture over the cloaca to hold it in until it decides to stay in on its own.

I think you are better off waiting for your regular vet. If you bring the tortoise home be sure to keep the prolapse moist/wet.

Also, a prolapsed penis that won't stay in is not a death sentence. The vet just operates and amputates the offending appendage. Tortoises can live just fine without a penis. (and it doesn't cost $1000)

You need to try to figure out why the prolapse happened in the first place. Was he playing with it and for whatever reason it got stuck? Was he straining to poop? Does he have parasites? Has he eaten rocks and is he impacted? These are all reasons for prolapsed penis.

The back leg issue is another worry, but I don't think it's connected to the prolapse. It may be, but I think its separate. If he has rocks inside him that could be what's wrong with the back legs...pressing on nerves, maybe? Has an X-ray been taken?
 

lismar79

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Yvonne G said:
First they told you they sutured, then they told you they were giving anti inflammatory drugs to help the prolapse go back in?????

Here's what happens: They get the penis back in however they can, usually by manipulation, THEN they suture a purse-string suture over the cloaca to hold it in until it decides to stay in on its own.

I think you are better off waiting for your regular vet. If you bring the tortoise home be sure to keep the prolapse moist/wet.

Also, a prolapsed penis that won't stay in is not a death sentence. The vet just operates and amputates the offending appendage. Tortoises can live just fine without a penis. (and it doesn't cost $1000)

You need to try to figure out why the prolapse happened in the first place. Was he playing with it and for whatever reason it got stuck? Was he straining to poop? Does he have parasites? Has he eaten rocks and is he impacted? These are all reasons for prolapsed penis.

The back leg issue is another worry, but I don't think it's connected to the prolapse. It may be, but I think its separate. If he has rocks inside him that could be what's wrong with the back legs...pressing on nerves, maybe? Has an X-ray been taken?

Thanks for the response, I truly appreciate your advice.
Yes, they told me they sutured & gave anti's to help it go back in.
I had xrays done last month when we started having the leg issues & my Reg vet said he seen nothing wrong with spine & no obstructions/stones. He was tested for Parasites last week & it was negative. I just got an update (after calling for one to find out they moved him to another facility without my consent & totally had a freaking melt down because they would not tell me why or where he was moved......) They moved him from the hospital to a the Vets personal Tortoise facility at his office. The tech I talked to today raises Sulcatas so I feel a little better about that. She said they still have not done an xray but will if I insist & I did. The swelling has gone down but is still a little there. He was active today but still has not eaten. He pooped, a lot, it was hard & they had to help him pull it out. He has not gone more then once a week for me in the past few weeks. I soak him once a day & twice a day when I work from home & weekends. I recently found out that he was kept for THREE WEEKS without light, heat, food, or water before I took him. Wondering if we are just now seeing the ramifications of that?

He was a regular & normal flasher up until about a week ago when I finally noticed he wasn't sticking it out anymore at all. Not when he ate, not in the bath, not at all....

The issue the emergency Vet said was not the prolapse itself but the theory that his spine is being pressed on by the concave & is causing swelling internally. Wouldn't an xray tell you that?????
 

Yvonne G

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It sounds to me as if the feces, being hard, and large, is the reason for the prolapse. Once you get the tortoise home you can start feeding him things to make the feces soft, like canned pumpkin, aloe vera, cucumber, etc. Then after he's all cleaned out, you can start adding fiber to the mix. Grass and weeds help to make well-formed, but easily passed, feces.

The sunken carapace may be the reason for the back legs not working, or working sporadically. I don't have enough experience with that sort of thing to have an educated comment on it.
 

lismar79

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Yvonne G said:
It sounds to me as if the feces, being hard, and large, is the reason for the prolapse. Once you get the tortoise home you can start feeding him things to make the feces soft, like canned pumpkin, aloe vera, cucumber, etc. Then after he's all cleaned out, you can start adding fiber to the mix. Grass and weeds help to make well-formed, but easily passed, feces.

The sunken carapace may be the reason for the back legs not working, or working sporadically. I don't have enough experience with that sort of thing to have an educated comment on it.

Thank you. I hope that is what caused it.
 

lismar79

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Jacqui said:
How is Harley doing today?

He's still in Tortoise Hospital. They said he was active & eating a little for the last two days. Prolapse has gone back in. I get to pick him up tomorrow. We are waiting to see if it happens again. If it does I am going to get the CT scan to see if spinal damage is too bad. Poor guy
:(
 

Jacqui

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:) Today he is coming home!! Glad Harley is doing better. *fingers crossed* that this is the last time he has serious health issues. Did they tell you what they had feed him that he was eating?
 

lismar79

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Jacqui said:
:) Today he is coming home!! Glad Harley is doing better. *fingers crossed* that this is the last time he has serious health issues. Did they tell you what they had feed him that he was eating?

Carrots, sweet potatoes and mazuri.

Today he ate really well for me. Some mazuri, spring mix, grass, pumkin! I am weaning him off the mazuri I think. He needs more varity and he gets to where that is all he will eat.

Tail is still swolen and sutures are in for a couple weeks. Ever had this happen? He has a lot of fecies that he is trying to push out but with sutures its only coming in real small pieces.....not sure what to do to help but I am soaking him 2 times a day....
 

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