Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Who knows the proper dosage?

My alpha Colombian redfoot is at least a month late on her early January clutch. She is lethargic.. won't eat.. and expelled "water" out her nose and mouth this morning! She has been raised from a 10/98 hatchling and has produced well over 100 eggs since Aug. '04.. like clock-work.

The drought of '07 has had an impact on the laying season of all of my females.. starting about a month late - plus.. less than a 20% hatch rate from the first 3 clutches. No doubt from available "grazing" and male interest because of no "breeding-season" NO RAIN.. did what we could. It's been crazy!

Is X-ray necessary.. and what dosage is proper?

Thanks,

Terry
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Terry E. Kilgore
Turtletary.com

I've now noticed considerable puffiness around and behind her front legs.. especially compared to her "sisters". She looks and feels like she has balloons around her front legs.

My Vet. and I are waiting for replies from my networking efforts.. as Monday is the soonest he can get her in. He is not an 'exotics' Vet. And the closest is 75 miles away (?).

This concern has just surfaced in the last week.

Any and all responses are welcome... please?

Terry
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Terry E. Kilgore
Turtletary.com

Normal dosage for Oxytocin in tortoises is 10 IU per kilogram which equates to roughly 4.6 IU per pound. You don't necessarily have to radiograph the tortoise before giving it, since it won't really hurt anything if there are no eggs to be laid. There is the possibility of causing the tortoise to lay eggs whose shells are not fully calcified in that case, however. Those eggs will generally go bad or be cracked as they are laid or buried. Another consideration is that it would probably take a fairly well experienced vet to determine from the radiographs if the eggs were sufficiently calcified to give the Oxytocin, though, so you have to decide whether you think you have a vet nearby who can help you with that decision or not.

Thanks Bill.. I meant to ask you about this when you returned my call last night.

Naturally I don't want to lose any good eggs.. and I wouldn't be surprised that she has a dozen developing in her. Traditionally they have at least 2 more clutches for this 'season'.. which could easily mean 14-16 eggs. When the Oxyctocin kicks in does that mean she will nest as usual or just start dropping them where she happens to be.. developed or not? She couldn't dig a nest big enough to handle all of the ones in her now! In other words will she expel all that are in her.. or just those that are "due"??

My concern for her health far overrides a clutch of eggs.. that's not brain science or rocket surgery tho.. is it?

Thanks again...
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Terry E. Kilgore
Turtletary.com

All the eggs will come out, ready or not. From your description of her present condition, I would go ahead and give her the Oxytocin without waiting for a radiograph and see what you get.

O.K. to inject directly into the "puffed-up" area around her front legs or someplace else?

Thanks Bill,

Terry
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Terry E. Kilgore
Turtletary.com

You may want to put the tortoise on a mound of wood shavings, in case she doesnt dig a hole, so she does not break them.

There is a case when x rays are useful, and that is, if a broken egg is the suspect cause of egg retention, in which case oxytocin-caused contractions may force the egg through the oviduct,it almost happened to me with a red leg. Surgical removal of the eggs was done and 12 years later she is still a successful breeder

David