Lump on rear end

[khay]

Very anxious parent of two ten year old Sulcata both acting normally but noticed today on my male (I think) a hard lump at his rear end
I don’t think it’s a prolapse
Trying to contact a vet but it’s late now
I am in U.K. southwest
They live indoors in winter sit in the sun on the doorstep and go out onto the grass as often as weather permits

 

[TammyJ]

Hi. Hope someone here who knows will be along to help!

 

[TeamZissou]

Looks like a urate/bladder stone is coming out. I would put him in a warm water soak to help him pass it.

You can also search the form to learn more about this and see what others have done in this case.

 

[khay]

Hi. Hope someone here who knows will be along to help!

Thanks me too
Maybe he is a she and it’s an egg that’s stuck
I want to bathe him in warm water but he is sleeping now DONT think I will get much sleep for worrying

Looks like a urate/bladder stone is coming out. I would put him in a warm water soak to help him pass it.

You can also search the form to learn more about this and see what others have done in this case.

 

[khay]

Thanks me too
Maybe he is a she and it’s an egg that’s stuck
I want to bathe him in warm water but he is sleeping now DONT think I will get much sleep for worrying

Yes I did wonder but it’s REALLY BIG I will soak him tomorrow once he is awake but also put a call into vet

 

[zovick]

Very anxious parent of two ten year old Sulcata both acting normally but noticed today on my male (I think) a hard lump at his rear end
I don’t think it’s a prolapse
Trying to contact a vet but it’s late now
I am in U.K. southwest
They live indoors in winter sit in the sun on the doorstep and go out onto the grass as often as weather permits

The tortoise is trying to pass a bladder stone as TeamZissou said above. I would recommend taking some type of instrument/tool and breaking it up to make it come out more easily. This can be done with a screwdriver, pliers, or heavy tweezers. You just need to be careful not to damage the tissue surrounding the stone. You could also try to grasp it with kitchen tongs and work it out by wiggling from side to side.

Another possibly helpful idea is to swab all around the border where is meets the tortoise's flesh with mineral oil to lubricate the area and help it pass as you try to pull on it and/or wiggle it.

Breaking them up and/or grabbing onto them with tongs or a good strong tweezer is the best way to remove them, though, provided you can get a grip on the stone. This is better than just waiting and hoping it will pass before the surrounding tissue becomes necrotic from the extreme pressure currently being exerted on it.

If all else fails, you can take it to a vet and see if they can help you. Sometimes they can break the stones up with ultrasonic instruments.

 

[khay]

The tortoise is trying to pass a bladder stone as TeamZissou said above. I would recommend taking some type of instrument/tool and breaking it up to make it come out more easily. This can be done with a screwdriver, pliers, or heavy tweezers. You just need to be careful not to damage the tissue surrounding the stone. You could also try to grasp it with kitchen tongs and work it out by wiggling from side to side.

Another possibly helpful idea is to swab all around the border where is meets the tortoise's flesh with mineral oil to lubricate the area and help it pass as you try to pull on it and/or wiggle it.

Breaking them up and/or grabbing onto them with tongs or a good strong tweezer is the best way to remove them, though, provided you can get a grip on the stone. This is better than just waiting and hoping it will pass before the surrounding tissue becomes necrotic from the extreme pressure currently being exerted on it.

If all else fails, you can take it to a vet and see if they can help you. Sometimes they can break the stones up with ultrasonic instruments.

I can’t see where the tort skin begins and ends so don’t know which bit to grab!
I will definitely soak in warm water
I have oil in the kitchen
Not sure what mineral oil is?
Will put him in a warm Bath he always lives a good shower
Maybe I will investigate a bit more when he is awake
I was justos shocked at first and guilty for whatever I did or didn’t do
Been reading up on here about bladder/urate stones trying to educate myself a bit
Rather go to a vet than do further damage
Someone said feed cucumber as it’s mostly water
Any thoughts?

 

[khay]

It was a stone
The size of a small marble
I got it!
I think I need to see that he drinks more
Especially as he spends longer under his lamp!!!

 

[khay]

I can’t see where the tort skin begins and ends so don’t know which bit to grab!
I will definitely soak in warm water
I have oil in the kitchen
Not sure what mineral oil is?
Will put him in a warm Bath he always lives a good shower
Maybe I will investigate a bit more when he is awake
I was justos shocked at first and guilty for whatever I did or didn’t do
Been reading up on here about bladder/urate stones trying to educate myself a bit
Rather go to a vet than do further damage
Someone said feed cucumber as it’s mostly water
Any thoughts?

Mercury vapour lamp and calcium block recommended by expert

 

[TeamZissou]

Glad that you were able to get it out.

Bladder stone formation is related to diet and hydration. It is a good idea to soak your tortoises a few times a week. Excessive dietary protein is a main culprit. I would review what you feed these tortoises against this care sheet. They need to eat a lot of grasses:

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Bladder stones can get extremely large and require surgery to remove. If not removed, they can kill.

Bladder Stones

Posted on Long Beach Animal Hospital's web page: One of the more interesting and unique surgeries we perform is the removal of a bladder stone (called a cystotomy) from California Desert Tortoises (CDT’s), along with various other tortoise species like African spurred tortoises (Sulcatas) and...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Moozillion]

It was a stone
The size of a small marble
I got it!
I think I need to see that he drinks more
Especially as he spends longer under his lamp!!!

YAYYY!!! Good job!!!

 

[Kara no Kame]

Very anxious parent of two ten year old Sulcata both acting normally but noticed today on my male (I think) a hard lump at his rear end
I don’t think it’s a prolapse
Trying to contact a vet but it’s late now
I am in U.K. southwest
They live indoors in winter sit in the sun on the doorstep and go out onto the grass as often as weather permits

Is the lump coming from inside the cloaca? I've seen a few prolapses in other species and that doesn't look like what I would expect a prolapse to be