Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well when I got up this morning her eyes looked fine so I almost didn't take her but one of my other turtles needed a beek trim so I brought and good thing I did.
It turns out that she dropped weight. Just to give you a good idea of how GREAT my vet is, he knew that before he even weighed her, she dropped about 30 grams which is a good amount and reason for concern. SO he gave her a vit a shot and some calcium. But that is not all the real bad news is that she is egg bound, she has two VERY LARGE eggs in her. So as expensice as it is we opted for surgery to remove the eggs and they are going to spay her at the same time. She goes in on Wednesday I will keep you all informed. If anybody has ever dealt with me before some uplifiting stories would great at this time.
Thanks again for all of your advise, I will remember them in case I have future problems.
You will hear from me soon
Christina
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1 Russian Tortoise (Willy)
1 Ornate Box Turtle (Lily)
1 Red Eared Slider (Chester)
2 White's Tree Frog (Kermit & Phil)
1 Red eyed Tree Frog (Justin)
2 Big Eyed Tree Frog
2 Bubbling Frog
2 Tiger Leg Tree Frogs (Akari & Shiro)
3 Amazonian Milky Tree Frogs
1 Dwarf Megophrys
1 Rainbow Burrowing Frog??
1 Praire Dog (Timmy)
2 Chinchillas (Layla & Snickers)
4 mice (Gabby and friends)
1 dog (Holly)
2 Cats (Champ & Bear)

Oh and a husband

Has your turtle shown any other signs of discomfort or distress? Does she have a suitable place to lay eggs if she needed to, and has she been pacing at all and trying to dig? Making paddling motions with her hind legs, or dragging them?
Lots of questions, I know, but surgery is a last resort (for me).
Just how big are the eggs? 1 1/2 inches long, 1 inch across is pretty average for an ornate box turtle egg.
I'd try giving her some deep (8 in), compacted soil to try to nest in, with a water dish to soak in and drink out of, in a roomy setup and see what happens before opting for surgery.
Does your vet have plenty of experience with box turtles?
Forgive me if I'm alarming you, but I still had questions.
Stephanie

Questions are good. those behaviors, i have not really seen. she does bury herself and it is about 3-4 lnches. she does soak alot. as for seeming like she is in discomfort i do not know however she is not 100% either.
I really trust my vet he is a herp/avian specialist I have been dealing w/him for a few years. he truly thought that she couldn't pass them. they were at least the size you desribed and they were starting to harden. also she is pretty small these eggs took up almost 1/2 her body. my vet has done this type of surgery but I am not sure if he has specifically on ornates but l know he has on other turtles..
please let me know what you think
thanks
Christina
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1 Russian Tortoise (Willy)
1 Ornate Box Turtle (Lily)
1 Red Eared Slider (Chester)
2 White's Tree Frog (Kermit & Phil)
1 Red eyed Tree Frog (Justin)
2 Big Eyed Tree Frog
2 Bubbling Frog
2 Tiger Leg Tree Frogs (Akari & Shiro)
3 Amazonian Milky Tree Frogs
1 Dwarf Megophrys
1 Rainbow Burrowing Frog??
1 Praire Dog (Timmy)
2 Chinchillas (Layla & Snickers)
4 mice (Gabby and friends)
1 dog (Holly)
2 Cats (Champ & Bear)

Oh and a husband

I will admit freely that I don't have personal experience when it comes to egg bound females, but from what I understand from reading other peoples experiences, females will exhibit nesting type behavior, which includes looking for a suitable site (pacing), soaking and drinking alot (my easterns all tanked up for a day or two before laying), digging 'test' nests (using hind legs only) and if indeed egg bound, make paddling motions with hind legs, etc., as if trying to push them out.
Did the vet tell you why he concluded she was egg bound, rather than merely gravid?
If she's active year round, its entirely possible that she be gravid now, in which case the eggs will have developed a thin shell.
I've got to say, the spaying proceedure sounds strange to me...I've never heard of anyone spaying a turtle, but there's plenty I don't know...
Stephanie

She has been soaking alot and burying herself in the substrate I have not see the leg movement thing though.
Well the vet took an x-ray of her and you can see that the eggs were starting to thicken and you could see the size of the eggs in comparison to the rest of her. In fact he was even commenting that for him to get them out he would have to cut a pretty good size whole out of hte bottom of her shell more then a usual window.
As for hte spaying he is just going to remove her uterus and ovaries while he is in there and then I do not have to worry about this happening again.
I wish there were somebody out there that does have experience maybe I should make another post.
Thanks for your help
Christina
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1 Russian Tortoise (Willy)
1 Ornate Box Turtle (Lily)
1 Red Eared Slider (Chester)
2 White's Tree Frog (Kermit & Phil)
1 Red eyed Tree Frog (Justin)
2 Big Eyed Tree Frog
2 Bubbling Frog
2 Tiger Leg Tree Frogs (Akari & Shiro)
3 Amazonian Milky Tree Frogs
1 Dwarf Megophrys
1 Rainbow Burrowing Frog??
1 Praire Dog (Timmy)
2 Chinchillas (Layla & Snickers)
4 mice (Gabby and friends)
1 dog (Holly)
2 Cats (Champ & Bear)

Oh and a husband

I would say you are jumping the gun on the surgery issue. I have never had an egg bound turtle but I have had an a few egg bound snakes and their are many things you can do before surgery. Often times the eggs start to get hard and shrink then pass on their own.
FS
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"It's only funny until someone gets hurt....then it's hilarious"