36. Egg binding in a 5-year-old red-eared slider

May 7, 2016

HOOK

Around 85% of Singaporeans live in apartments and so their red-eared sliders and other tortoises have no opportunity to wander around grass and sand to lay eggs.  They are usually housed in glass tanks. So when the gravid terrapins need to lay eggs, they drop them into the water.  Some owners can bring them outdoors to lay eggs. 

But what happens if the gravid terrapin has an egg stuck inside the pelvic canal as in the following case? 


BE KIND TO PETS Veterinary Educational Video
A TERRAPIN IS EGG BOUND


The owner decided to bring the terrapin in as she could not lay the egg on the sand provided. The egg was stuck in the cloaca for around 7 days. There was straining but the egg could not come out.

Ovocentesis by Dr Daniel. Needle and syringe. Large volumes of urine and blackish watery stools gushed out as if a dam had burst. The egg had obstructed natural peeing and pooping.


May 10, 2016
The owner complained that the terrapin was not eating. I warded her for X-ray and treatment. Gastroenteritis with gas in intestines seen.

On May 11, 2016. Ate 10 pellets. Sent home to recuperate. Shell rot with green algae on right back carapace edge, bitten by the other terrapin. This terrapin loves eating and weighs around 1 kg on May 7, 2016. Does look well fed. 

Advised
1. Baby bath tub to recuperate and heal the shell rot.
2. 80% dry.
3. Basking platform instead of rock. Floating basking area sinks as this terrapin is heavy at 950 g after egg removal.

Home.  A large aquarium tank for two big terrapins.  No more small pebbles inside the aquarium as the terrapin eats them. Shell rot with green algae cleaned up. Older scute with green algae could be pulled off as a top layer. So, no more shell rot now.

Many small pebbles have been swallowed by the terrapins, causing enteritis in some cases.