X-Ray of Leopard Tortoise-- Input Requested Please!

[egyptiandan]

X-rays pick up calcium in the body and solid objects, so not good at all for soft tissue viewing (so worms or worm eggs wouldn't show up). Looks like either an intestinal impaction or calcium oxalate bladder sand.

The leg she's not using Cory, is it on that side? What does the knee joint look like on that leg?

Danny

 

[terracolson]

The vet i had look at the xray said its past the bladder section... almost in the pelvic area

 

[Fokkerdon]

Cory,
As with private mail to you and response posted on CTTC, you need to get that tortoise to a knowledgeable, qualified tortoise vet ASAP. ( I sent you a link to the vets for herps group and every single one of those vets on there is capable of properly working with your tortoise, which apparently this Studiio City Animal is not!).
We did some manipulations of the x-ray and are not really sure that the granulated looking mass is out of place for the bladder or not, but the general consensus was that it was more than likely sand/rocks impaction with major gas buildup behind it.
However, the dragging of right rear leg has been a very common indicator of stone issues in arid land tortoises and it could be that the x-ray is angled and that is formation of multiple small stones/pieces larger ones? just not sure and either way, time may be important here for your tortoises health.
Please go to the link I sent you, join for immediate acceptance and check the Files>United States>California>City and get to a good vet.
Good luck
Don Williams, (Moderator: CTTC Turtle and Tortoise list ; Gopherus;
Vets_for_herps; TortoiseNutrition)
*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*
May You Walk in Beauty
Don :~)> and his desert torts in Bakersfield, CA.
http://tortoise-aid.org/
www.Donsdeserttortoises.com
www.KernCTTC.org

 

[Yvonne G]

Hey Don (Fokkerdon):

to the forum!!

Good to see you posting here and we're darned lucky to have you as a forum member!!

 

[Shelly]

I think I see an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

 

[Yvonne G]

We can always count on you, John!

 

[Shelly]

( I sent you a link to the vets for herps group and every single one of those vets on there is capable of properly working with your tortoise, which apparently this Studiio City Animal is not!)

I went to Studio City Animal Hospital with a sick Tort in 2000 AFTER I was referred by somebody in the CTTC.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Good luck, Cory.

I hope your girl comes home safe and healthy soon.

Please keep us informed.

 

[Fokkerdon]

Did you have a good experience? Who was the vet? I know they are on the CTTC list found at www.tortoise.org but to the best of my knowledge at this time there is not one vet there that has undergone any specific training on turtle and tortoise health issues and treatments, so perhaps a qualified vet has moved on??. If anyone does know of one who works there who has undergone the specialized reptile training, provide me with the info and will check them out for possible inclusion on vets for herps.
CTTC vet list is bound by legalities to list any and all vets who want to be listed and is not always the best source, which was part of the reason for the formation of Vets for herps.

( I sent you a link to the vets for herps group and every single one of those vets on there is capable of properly working with your tortoise, which apparently this Studiio City Animal is not!)

I went to Studio City Animal Hospital with a sick Tort in 2000 AFTER I was referred by somebody in the CTTC.

 

[Shelly]

Although he was not listed as the vet in the forum recommendation, I was referred to a Vet there named Stein, or Stern, something like that. I was told he had had several articles published in the Veterinarian journals regarding the treatment of Tortoises.
I brought to him an old wild caught female DT I had just adopted from the CTTC. I was told when I adopted it that it was in "Perfect health" and had been previously been checked out by a vet. It was at that time hibernating, so I didn't get a real idea of its condition till it woke up weeks later.
It was badly ematiated and dehydrated and had limited use of its front legs. In addition, one eye was swollen shut.
I think the orthopedic issues were related to an old injury that could be seen in an old, severe shell crack. He showed me how to force feed it, but couldn't offer help with the eye. He gave me some drops to put in it, but it didn't help any.
2 years later, when its condition worsened, I brought it back to be euthanized, which for some reason, required me to spend nearly 2 hours sitting in the waiting room.
So basically I spent about $250 for nothing, which is more or less typical of virtually every experience I have ever had with a Vet. It also seems to be typical of just about every Vet experience I read about in these forums.
In my experience, Veterinarians are, for the most part, worthless.

 

[ChiKat]

In my experience, Veterinarians are, for the most part, worthless.

Wow, that's an interesting point of view.

 

[tortoisenerd]

Wow I'm sorry you've had such bad experiences Shelly. I have to say I have had the exact opposite. My vet has been as awesome as a lifeline for tort care as this forum. Expensive, yes, but at the same time helpful and knowledgeable. I hope you can find a good vet who can regain your trust. I do agree there are good and bad vets, as there are for every profession. Better to find the good ones before you really need them. Best wishes.

 

[Fokkerdon]

I'm sorry your experience was bad. I have had both good and bad, which is why I stress the ones I know who really care and stay updated on what they are doing.

Although he was not listed as the vet in the forum recommendation, I was referred to a Vet there named Stein, or Stern, something like that. I was told he had had several articles published in the Veterinarian journals regarding the treatment of Tortoises.
I brought to him an old wild caught female DT I had just adopted from the CTTC. I was told when I adopted it that it was in "Perfect health" and had been previously been checked out by a vet. It was at that time hibernating, so I didn't get a real idea of its condition till it woke up weeks later.
It was badly ematiated and dehydrated and had limited use of its front legs. In addition, one eye was swollen shut.
I think the orthopedic issues were related to an old injury that could be seen in an old, severe shell crack. He showed me how to force feed it, but couldn't offer help with the eye. He gave me some drops to put in it, but it didn't help any.
2 years later, when its condition worsened, I brought it back to be euthanized, which for some reason, required me to spend nearly 2 hours sitting in the waiting room.
So basically I spent about $250 for nothing, which is more or less typical of virtually every experience I have ever had with a Vet. It also seems to be typical of just about every Vet experience I read about in these forums.
In my experience, Veterinarians are, for the most part, worthless.

 

[terracolson]

So do we have a verdict yet?

 

[Livingstone]

I will agree somewhat, when livingstone had a few bubbles coming from his nose it was off to the vet. Where she directed me to inject my lil guy (1.5" SCL) with the antibiotics. I had to inject the tort every other day, not fun for a tiny creature and its owner, it was a total of 16 injections. The injections were sub-cuteaneous, between the skin and muscle, If I injected too deep and it got into his blood stream it would kill the animal. When that didnt work she advised me to use drops into the nose, I can remeber being soooo heated at her because the drops worked and were way less invasive and traumatizing than the injections.
To boot, she told me that my sulcata did not need humidity and that moistening the substrate was a bad idea. So yah unless its life threatening I stay away from vets.

 

[spikethebest]

X-rays pick up calcium in the body and solid objects, so not good at all for soft tissue viewing (so worms or worm eggs wouldn't show up). Looks like either an intestinal impaction or calcium oxalate bladder sand.

The leg she's not using Cory, is it on that side? What does the knee joint look like on that leg?

Danny

Yes its on that side. The knee joint looks just fine. just like the other knee. I am able to see her entire leg, no torns, splinters, cuts, insects, nothing.

---

update--

took her to another Vet. One of the CTTC Vet list, they are located in West Hills, California.

First off, they dont have internet, so they couldnt look at the digital copy of the x-ray. So they just looked at a color and black white copy of the x-ray I had. So said they couldnt tell what it was. They wanted to take 2 x-rays and hope it would look a lot better.

They also has NO idea why the leg keeps on getting dragged, and tucked in. The doctors office was very cold, and the small private room was even colder. The Vet also handled my tortoise very improperly, and so my tort was very scared. So the Vet was unable to get the leg out for an inspection.

I told her to put her under a heat lamp, and just let her relax. The Vet said she couldnt do that, and spend that much time waiting. So the Vet just wanted to give her drugs to put her asleep and pull the leg out. I didnt like that idea at all. When my tort is at home, and you handle her properly with care and love, she will pop out and extend her legs out fully.

The Vet gave her a pain injection in her body. I dont know why the Vet did that, but she said it would help. Well it didnt appear to do anything.

So I left the Vet, spent another $90 (atop of the first $175 from the first Vet), with no more information or anything.

So I still dont know what to do. Also since my tort has been stressed out, she isnt eating.

I am soaking her, but she doesnt drink.

Thats the update for the weekend.

 

[Fokkerdon]

Hi Cory,
Did you get to vet yet? Since leg shows no injury and looks fine on x-ray, I went ahead and called and talked to vet Mike Christianson, DVM in Riverside and he said from the x-ray it doesn't really look like is in the bowel, more like small bladderstones and they do cause physical restrictions/blockages at times. Still looking for my file on x-ray from three years ago of small bladderstone calculi in desert tortoise, but files a mess after computer infection/meltdown, sorry.
Don

X-rays pick up calcium in the body and solid objects, so not good at all for soft tissue viewing (so worms or worm eggs wouldn't show up). Looks like either an intestinal impaction or calcium oxalate bladder sand.

The leg she's not using Cory, is it on that side? What does the knee joint look like on that leg?

Danny

Yes its on that side. The knee joint looks just fine. just like the other knee. I am able to see her entire leg, no torns, splinters, cuts, insects, nothing.

---

update--

took her to another Vet. One of the CTTC Vet list, they are located in West Hills, California.

First off, they dont have internet, so they couldnt look at the digital copy of the x-ray. So they just looked at a color and black white copy of the x-ray I had. So said they couldnt tell what it was. They wanted to take 2 x-rays and hope it would look a lot better.

They also has NO idea why the leg keeps on getting dragged, and tucked in. The doctors office was very cold, and the small private room was even colder. The Vet also handled my tortoise very improperly, and so my tort was very scared. So the Vet was unable to get the leg out for an inspection.

I told her to put her under a heat lamp, and just let her relax. The Vet said she couldnt do that, and spend that much time waiting. So the Vet just wanted to give her drugs to put her asleep and pull the leg out. I didnt like that idea at all. When my tort is at home, and you handle her properly with care and love, she will pop out and extend her legs out fully.

The Vet gave her a pain injection in her body. I dont know why the Vet did that, but she said it would help. Well it didnt appear to do anything.

So I left the Vet, spent another $90 (atop of the first $175 from the first Vet), with no more information or anything.

So I still dont know what to do. Also since my tort has been stressed out, she isnt eating.

I am soaking her, but she doesnt drink.

Thats the update for the weekend.

---

 

[spikethebest]

Hi Cory,
Did you get to vet yet? Since leg shows no injury and looks fine on x-ray, I went ahead and called and talked to vet Mike Christianson, DVM in Riverside and he said from the x-ray it doesn't really look like is in the bowel, more like small bladderstones and they do cause physical restrictions/blockages at times. Still looking for my file on x-ray from three years ago of small bladderstone calculi in desert tortoise, but files a mess after computer infection/meltdown, sorry.
Don

Yes i did go the vet. Please scroll up to read about my experience.

So if they are bladderstones, what exactly should i do? Medicine? Surgery? What?

Thank you,
Cory

 

[terracolson]

horrible..

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Oh Cory, I'm so sorry your poor girl had to go through all that.

They "don't have internet"? I didn't know that was possible anymore.

I hope she gets better soon...