ANYONE HAVE TO USE OXYTOCIN ON TORTOISE

wellington

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If so, do you remember all they did and did it work?
Did they just give the shot or did they have to do more, like give fluids, etc?
How many shots did it take?
Any insight would help. I believe my one female needs to get some help on getting the six eggs she has out. However, the vet said she has never had good luck with oxytocin and said it required a lot more then just giving the injection.
The clinic sees reptiles and small animals probably more then cats and dogs. They seem to have knowledge of tortoises, they knew the rights and wrongs. The only thing I didn't like, it seems they always only have urgent care appointments, which is 20 dollars more then a regular visit, so not bad.
Thanks for any help on this. I don't need help on what I can do at home. I got all that covered.
 

zovick

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All you need to do is give the tortoise the oxytocin injection. Normally it will cause the eggs to be laid in 1-3 hours. I usually give it in the area slightly above the front leg and on the inner side between the leg and the neck. I give 5-6 cc to a 20-23 lb female Radiated Tortoise. You can use about 1-3 cc. for a smaller size tortoise based on its comparative size. These doses might be higher than what those vets generally use which might explain why they have not had such good luck with using the drug.

That being said, I have found that there are some species on which it doesn't seem to work. Pyxis planicauda is one, and certain Burmese Star females I have treated have seemed either resistant to it or it has taken up to 8 hours and more to work.

What species of tortoise do you wish to treat?
 

wellington

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All you need to do is give the tortoise the oxytocin injection. Normally it will cause the eggs to be laid in 1-3 hours. I usually give it in the area slightly above the front leg and on the inner side between the leg and the neck. I give 5-6 cc to a 20-23 lb female Radiated Tortoise. You can use about 1-3 cc. for a smaller size tortoise based on its comparative size. These doses might be higher than what those vets generally use which might explain why they have not had such good luck with using the drug.

That being said, I have found that there are some species on which it doesn't seem to work. Pyxis planicauda is one, and certain Burmese Star females I have treated have seemed either resistant to it or it has taken up to 8 hours and more to work.

What species of tortoise do you wish to treat?
This would be on a leopard. Today she weighed in over 9 pounds and that's I'm sure down some seeing she hasn't been eating for about a week and then not back to her normal eating yet with these new eggs.
I take it any online vet supplies needs a prescription for oxy, right? Don't know if they will give it too her without all the added money maker that's not needed.
That's one reason I started this thread. Going in with the great knowledge of the forum members to back me up.
Any knowledge of oxy on a leopard?
Thanks again.
 

zovick

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This would be on a leopard. Today she weighed in over 9 pounds and that's I'm sure down some seeing she hasn't been eating for about a week and then not back to her normal eating yet with these new eggs.
I take it any online vet supplies needs a prescription for oxy, right? Don't know if they will give it too her without all the added money maker that's not needed.
That's one reason I started this thread. Going in with the great knowledge of the forum members to back me up.
Any knowledge of oxy on a leopard?
Thanks again.

I assume that you have had your tortoise radiographed since you know that she has eggs and the number of them. Were they quite well calcified in the radiograph? Has she been digging? Are you sure she is ready to lay them? If not, and you give her oxytocin, you may get a bunch of rubbery shelled eggs which will not hatch.

I have used oxytocin successfully on numerous Indian and Sri Lankan Stars over the years and they are one of the closest relatives to Leopard Tortoises (or at least that is what used to be believed). If it were me, I would give your Leopard about 4-5 cc. of Oxytocin and expect it to work within 1.5 hours or thereabouts.

You will more than likely need to get a prescription to buy it yourself if that is even possible. Some drugs can be sold ONLY to licensed veterinarians. If you are able buy it yourself, you will most likely have to buy a 100 cc bottle which is a lot more than you need (but it isn't that costly). If have a good relationship with any veterinarian, you may be able to get them to simply give you one or two syringes full of it to make up the 4-5 cc dose you need. Or take the tortoise with you to the vet and let them give the injection, then take the tortoise home with you to wait for the eggs.
 
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Jodie

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I have not used it. Both of my vets have not wanted to unless really necessary. Biggest reason I was given is that if there is blockage for some reason, they can injure themselves trying to lay. How did the xray look? Last year when I brought Nia inside winter, she held her last clutch of eggs for a little over a month before dropping them. Is there a reason she may be not laying? Has she been digging, and trying to lay?
 

wellington

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No, she has not been digging. The eggs looked good to me. However, I'm not sure if she is ready to lay them as they are high up going side to side. Not dropped into position like a human baby would do. I have no idea how long they will hold them before ready to lay them or if they do drop into position. I would think so though.
The worry is because she won't use her back legs to walk. She can move them, will use her toes, will bring them in and out, but will not use them to walk. Also because of the eggs she drop about 2 weeks ago now I think it's been, maybe a week ago. Lots of other human medical stuff going on here that I can't remember crap. LOL
Is my thinking correct, that because they are high, going side to side, and have not dropped down, that she's just not ready?
 

wellington

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I have not used it. Both of my vets have not wanted to unless really necessary. Biggest reason I was given is that if there is blockage for some reason, they can injure themselves trying to lay. How did the xray look? Last year when I brought Nia inside winter, she held her last clutch of eggs for a little over a month before dropping them. Is there a reason she may be not laying? Has she been digging, and trying to lay?
The vet did say something about if there was a blockage. Nothing else on the X-ray looked out of sorts.
 

wellington

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I assume that you have had your tortoise radiographed since you know that she has eggs and the number of them. Were they quite well calcified in the radiograph? Has she been digging? Are you sure she is ready to lay them? If not, and you give her oxytocin, you may get a bunch of rubbery shelled eggs which will not hatch.

I have used oxytocin successfully on numerous Indian and Sri Lankan Stars over the years and they are one of the closest relatives to Leopard Tortoises (or at least that is what used to be believed). If it were me, I would give your Leopard about 4-5 cc. of Oxytocin and expect it to work within 1.5 hours or thereabouts.

You will more than likely need to get a prescription to buy it yourself if that is even possible. Some drugs can be sold ONLY to licensed veterinarians. If you are able buy it yourself, you will most likely have to buy a 100 cc bottle which is a lot more than you need (but it isn't that costly). If have a good relationship with any veterinarian, you may be able to get them to simply give you one or two syringes full of it to make up the 4-5 cc dose you need. Or take the tortoise with you to the vet and let them give the injection, then take the tortoise home with you to wait for the eggs.
See my post below please
 

Jodie

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Sorry she is having these kinds of issues. I certainly understand the stress they cause. I am traumatized and paranoid about it. Is there an actual good tortoise vet near you? I don't know if they drop or not before laying. I don't really think so. I would want an experienced vet to give the oxy. One that can monitor and perform surgery if has to. The back legs thing certainly seems more alarming. None of mine have had this issue. Best wishes.
 

zovick

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No, she has not been digging. The eggs looked good to me. However, I'm not sure if she is ready to lay them as they are high up going side to side. Not dropped into position like a human baby would do. I have no idea how long they will hold them before ready to lay them or if they do drop into position. I would think so though.
The worry is because she won't use her back legs to walk. She can move them, will use her toes, will bring them in and out, but will not use them to walk. Also because of the eggs she drop about 2 weeks ago now I think it's been, maybe a week ago. Lots of other human medical stuff going on here that I can't remember crap. LOL
Is my thinking correct, that because they are high, going side to side, and have not dropped down, that she's just not ready?

She laid eggs two weeks ago? How many? It is possible these eggs are leftovers from that clutch. It is way too soon for a new clutch of eggs to be ready to be laid yet. It normally takes at least 30-45 days for the next clutch of eggs to be laid. Has she ever laid eggs successfully/normally prior to the clutch two weeks ago?

Knowing the above, it is rather disturbing that your tortoise isn't using her back legs. I think you should find a good reptile vet and go to him/her giving them the full history. It is very possible that the remaining eggs may be out of their proper position and might need to be surgically removed. She may have forced them into her bladder by straining to get them out. I believe oxytocin is NOT indicated for this tortoise at this time unless a good reptile vet recommends it and attends to the animal afterwards. Is there a veterinary school near you? If so, you could take her to their Exotics Department.

That exact scenario happened to a female Radiated Tortoise belonging to my friend last year, and she had to be spayed as well as having the eggs surgically removed from her bladder.

Is the tortoise eating normally? Is she getting enough calcium?
 

Pearly

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She laid eggs two weeks ago? How many? It is possible these eggs are leftovers from that clutch. It is way too soon for a new clutch of eggs to be ready to be laid yet. It normally takes at least 30-45 days for the next clutch of eggs to be laid. Has she ever laid eggs successfully/normally prior to the clutch two weeks ago?

Knowing the above, it is rather disturbing that your tortoise isn't using her back legs. I think you should find a good reptile vet and go to him/her giving them the full history. It is very possible that the remaining eggs may be out of their proper position and might need to be surgically removed. She may have forced them into her bladder by straining to get them out. I believe oxytocin is NOT indicated for this tortoise at this time unless a good reptile vet recommends it and attends to the animal afterwards. Is there a veterinary school near you? If so, you could take her to their Exotics Department.

That exact scenario happened to a female Radiated Tortoise belonging to my friend last year, and she had to be spayed as well as having the eggs surgically removed from her bladder.

Is the tortoise eating normally? Is she getting enough calcium?
I think Wellington has mentioned that the tort was NOT "back to her normal eating", she also said that the tort was able to MOVE her back legs but it sounded like she has not been weight bearing on them... that is very concerning. My reasoning is based purely on human medicine no reptilian experience, but there are some badic laws of physics that apply to most things in universe. I would be very hesitant with oxytocin unless for sure knowing the eggs are in good position to come out. If she dropped part of the clutch and retained the rest, there's probably a reason for it, and I'd be concerned of the reason being of structural nature. She may already be in pain (which maybe what keeps her from putting weight on her pelvic area) and oxytocin is only gonna make the pain worse by giving her very powerful contractions. Do torts ever get torsions????
 

wellington

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She laid eggs two weeks ago? How many? It is possible these eggs are leftovers from that clutch. It is way too soon for a new clutch of eggs to be ready to be laid yet. It normally takes at least 30-45 days for the next clutch of eggs to be laid. Has she ever laid eggs successfully/normally prior to the clutch two weeks ago?

Knowing the above, it is rather disturbing that your tortoise isn't using her back legs. I think you should find a good reptile vet and go to him/her giving them the full history. It is very possible that the remaining eggs may be out of their proper position and might need to be surgically removed. She may have forced them into her bladder by straining to get them out. I believe oxytocin is NOT indicated for this tortoise at this time unless a good reptile vet recommends it and attends to the animal afterwards. Is there a veterinary school near you? If so, you could take her to their Exotics Department.

That exact scenario happened to a female Radiated Tortoise belonging to my friend last year, and she had to be spayed as well as having the eggs surgically removed from her bladder.

Is the tortoise eating normally? Is she getting enough calcium?
She has had several clutches all with no issues. One with some fertile eggs and most not fertile. Some nest was dug, some she would just drop them on top of ground/tub during soak/ enclosure.
She is eating, but not her normal amount. There were 5 eggs last week or two. She normally lays 4-6 when she hasn't dug a nest. Usually 9 if she has dug a nest. When she doesn't dig a nest, she never drops them all at once. It usually is about 4-5 days or so. When she digs a nest, it's usually all done from start to finish in about 8 hours. No school near by. The vet clinic has another vet. I believe that one is more knowledgeable, but being I had to do an urgent care appointment I had to take the vet on duty. I don't know if there is a better clinic th this one. The one I was going to use, has very bad care info on their website, so staying clear of them. I will see if I can get a copy of the X-ray sent to me. I of course didn't think to take a pic of it.
 

Pearly

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See my post below please
What's her past history? How old? many clutches has she had? Were they uneventful? How many eggs does she usually produce? And how many did she have already this time? I'm not asking you about calcium in diet bcs I know you've got that one well covered. We're just brainstorming here:)
 

wellington

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Sorry she is having these kinds of issues. I certainly understand the stress they cause. I am traumatized and paranoid about it. Is there an actual good tortoise vet near you? I don't know if they drop or not before laying. I don't really think so. I would want an experienced vet to give the oxy. One that can monitor and perform surgery if has to. The back legs thing certainly seems more alarming. None of mine have had this issue. Best wishes.
Thank you. She never has had this before either. Many clutches dropped just most not fertile.
 

wellington

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What's her past history? How old? many clutches has she had? Were they uneventful? How many eggs does she usually produce? And how many did she have already this time? I'm not asking you about calcium in diet bcs I know you've got that one well covered. We're just brainstorming here:)
I can't recall exact number of clutches, around 10-12. Nested ones usually 9 eggs. Ones not laid in nest 4-5 eggs. She will be 7 in November. Never a problem before. Last week or two 5 eggs, all hard shells.
 

Pearly

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I can't recall exact number of clutches, around 10-12. Nested ones usually 9 eggs. Ones not laid in nest 4-5 eggs. She will be 7 in November. Never a problem before. Last week or two 5 eggs, all hard shells.
Hmmm.... and this incremental laying is happening for the first time?
 

wellington

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Hmmm.... and this incremental laying is happening for the first time?
Well, kinda, kinda not. When she digs a nest she does it all in one day. When she just lays them without digging a nest, she will drop them here and there over a period of 3-4-5 days or so. She has only stopped eating in the past. So, the leg part is my reason I took concern. But they she will move them etc, as mentioned. Just won't use them to walk.
 

Pearly

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I have no experience with eggs at all, you have the "know-how" in that area, and I think your gut was right to tell you to stop and question things before going after obtaining oxytocin. Who knows it may still be ok to do, but I think it's good to rule out potential problems that giving oxytocin would only make worse
 

Pearly

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@zovick knowing tort anatomy and pathophysiology, what do you think could be causing her to not bear weight on her back legs? Bladder full of eggs? Nerve compression???
 

wellington

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I went and got her to do another warm soak. I'm feeding her cactus romaine cucumber watermelon and cactus not all at once. She ate a big pile of romaine and some of the Mazuri. Which is even better then she has been doing. I'm still waiting for the X-ray to be emailed. The idiots didn't do it before they shut down for two hours, ugh! Will post those when I do get them.
This diet is just started yesterday to help keep her well hydrated and loose. Not her normal diet.
 
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