X-Ray for tortoise?

[Bogie=babyDINO]

My friend is in vet tech school and they need to bring in some animals for x-rays. She asked if she can bring in my 7 month Sulcata tortoise. I have to work but she said she will take him and bring him back. Am I just being a paranoid mama? Is there any reason why I shouldn't let her take x-rays? Won't it be good for me to see his x-rays? He is really really tiny for 7 months at 109g so maybe it would be good to see some X-rays. What do you think?

 

[jaizei]

I doubt it would hurt. Even if it doesn't do any 'good', I think it'd be interesting. I would do it if the opportunity arouse.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I've had two xrays done on two torts and they didn't seem to mind. (Egg binding or obstructions)
It'd be like xraying a human.....safe enough, but not to be done a lot.

 

[W Shaw]

When I got my little rescue last month, that was pretty much the first thing the vet did. I could see his shell wasn't normal and he didn't walk normally, so I assumed he had some skeletal issues from malnutrition. We wanted to know how bad those issues were, so we'd have a good baseline going forward. I wouldn't get it done every day, but having been a vet tech in the past, I would think it would be safe to do occasionally, if there's a medical need for it. I wouldn't do it just for fun.

 

[dmmj]

I'm of the school of thought only do if, if they need them.

 

[Bogie=babyDINO]

Yeah I got my little guy from Craigslist. He wasn't gaining weight for about 4 months but now he is growing like crazy. I think I'll do it just to know he is okay. He has never been checked out before so it's probably a good thing. What would an x-Ray show me if he has malnutrition? Can you see if the organs are okay?

 

[W Shaw]

You can do x-rays that show soft tissue, but what they're more likely to do is one that will show you whether his bones are normal. I knew mine likely had some skeletal deformity from malnutrition and lack of UVB, so that's what we wanted to get a look at, to see how badly his mobility would be impaired.

 

[deadheadvet]

You would be crazy not to take advantage of a free radiograph! They might actually find something.