Stone stuck, help!

Taco*mom

Active Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2016
Messages
213
Hi guys,
Just came back from out if town, fresh from the airport to find my albino sulcata like this. Please see the picture attached. According to the caretaker, he has been trying to push a stone out and around 5pm today she can still see the white stone at the end of the anus. Now it is swollen and the white stone is not visible.

I have soaked it with warm water mixed with olive oil.

Please help. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

IMG_5281.JPG
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Allow him to sit in warm water all day. Place him in a container he can't climb out of and put the container NEXT to the light - NOT DIRECTLY UNDER THE LIGHT. The water should come up to the middle of his sides, where the top shell meets the bottom shell. Coat a piece of lettuce with mineral oil then roll the leaf up tightly into a tube. Hand feed him from one end of the tube so he gets a lot of the mineral oil into him. Mineral oil is non-absorptive and just moves through the system, coating everything in there to help it move out.

Unless this is an actual rock that he has eaten, this has happened because the tortoise hasn't been kept well-hydrated. You can lubricate your pinky finger and gently push all that swollen tissue back inside, but it will keep coming out until he can pass the hardened urates.
 

Taco*mom

Active Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2016
Messages
213
Thanks Yvonne and Wellington. It's midnight here.. can't wait to try this tomorrow.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
What is the breeder's soaking and housing routine?
 

Taco*mom

Active Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2016
Messages
213
IMG_5292.JPG IMG_5293.JPG The results shows that E has so many stones in him. I was in tears. Here is the picture of the xray. The vet recommended a surgery. I have to fly to another town to do it. But looking at how small he is, E may not stand a chance. @deadheadvet please tell me what you think...
 

Taco*mom

Active Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2016
Messages
213
His weight drop from 81 grams 2 days ago to 71 grams today. He is only 6cm SCL.
 

Fredkas

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2016
Messages
936
Sending positive thought for you. Hope everything turns out okay.
Keep us posted
 

motero

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Mar 8, 2010
Messages
753
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
Just my opinion, lube him up like Yvonne said. See if he will eat aloe and cactus. Lots of soaking. If they are stones he can pass them. If they are urates maybe some thing can break them up a bit. Like the vibrator used on constipated tortoises. Or put him in an ultrasonic cleaner. I don't know if that would have bad side effects, I'm just brainstorming. I would try lots of things before surgery.
 

motero

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Mar 8, 2010
Messages
753
Location (City and/or State)
Arizona
Obviously get the rocks out of his reach. And get some miner all mineral supplements, it helps them stop eating rocks.
 

eric joranson

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2017
Messages
284
Location (City and/or State)
Cape Cod ;MA / Co.Bluffs; Iowa
His weight drop from 81 grams 2 days ago to 71 grams today. He is only 6cm SCL.
Was it determined if these are urates or actual stones he has swallowed? When mine defecates it looses from 3-6 grams in weight. So with yours; this kind of weight loss makes me think he probably passed one of the stones. Hopefully the largest one which was acting as a plug and now the rest will pass. If not the loss of the one stone might allow a skilled herp vet to go in and break them up; if they do not start passing on their own. I'd continue hydration soaks and and lots of leafy greens with water sprayed on them.' or mineral oil. This is one of those times that lettuce can be added to the feed; being its mostly water. You mentioned a possible infection; or was it just swollen tissue from exertion, If you have an infection you might want to set up a hospital tank;with higher temps and humidity; as well as no substrate that could aggravate the infection. If you use paper towels; you will be able to determine if he's urinating . If is feeding and passing stools; and behavior remains the same; I would do what I could to avoid the surgical; approach. Go back in a few days and have another xray to see if there has been any change.
 
Last edited:

Bee62

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
11,981
Location (City and/or State)
Germany
I know that some stones ( in humans ) could be destroyed by ultrasonic waves. Could you ask your VET what he think about this ?
I would wait and soak the tortoise for hours in warm water and feed organic oil like @Yvonne said.
Good luck for your little tort. My fingers are crossed.
 

deadheadvet

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Sep 5, 2011
Messages
813
Location (City and/or State)
Cary, NC
The x-rays are very poor quality. It is very difficult to determine the location of the stones/rocks. They look very large to be bladder stones at such a young age. Were there rocks in the enclosure for the tortoise to eat? If housed indoors, then they may likely be bladder stones. There was a paper published some time ago in the UK, where they taped a Vibrator (pocket rocket) to the plastron to simulate vibration and possibly break up the stones. Results were mixed but worth a try. Some better xrays may be of value.
 

deadheadvet

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Sep 5, 2011
Messages
813
Location (City and/or State)
Cary, NC
IMO. Radiographs should be of a certain level of quality that another veterinarian we would be able to interpret them w/o having to recommend taking additional films. I pulled a random tortoise image for comparison and you will see much better detail that we would easily share with colleagues for review. The above images are blurry and poor detail. Can not blame it on the tortoise since they just about never move when taking rads.376-125.jpg
 

eric joranson

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2017
Messages
284
Location (City and/or State)
Cape Cod ;MA / Co.Bluffs; Iowa
The x-rays are very poor quality. It is very difficult to determine the location of the stones/rocks. They look very large to be bladder stones at such a young age. Were there rocks in the enclosure for the tortoise to eat? If housed indoors, then they may likely be bladder stones. There was a paper published some time ago in the UK, where they taped a Vibrator (pocket rocket) to the plastron to simulate vibration and possibly break up the stones. Results were mixed but worth a try. Some better xrays may be of value.
OK; I like being ready for a problem should it arise; but I can only imagine getting a "pocket rocket" and try to explain" its for my tortoise".
 
Last edited:

New Posts

Top