Re: Help! My tortoise ate a nutshell!

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Posted by Esther on June 03, 2002 at 10:25:19:

In Reply to: Help! My tortoise ate a nutshell! posted by Sandy on June 02, 2002 at 16:56:06:

How big is your sulcata? Size (inches) and weight (pounds)? And how big was the nutshell - what type? (peanut shells are huge compared to pistachio, etc). I always advise consulting a vet and doing an x-ray, sooner rather than later in case an endoscopy is needed (this happened once with Albrecht when he ate some fabric, don't ask, it is one crazy story, but if we had been later with the endoscopy, it wouldn't have worked and the only other option would have been to open him up, which should be avoided with torts - they aren't like dogs and cats with accessible operatable gut since it would have meant cutting through his shell). If you must do an endoscopy, it is important to determine that right away, before the shell is digested even further.

Size of the tortoise and size of the shell are relevant here: Albrect once ate a pistacio nutshell that he found scavanging and I had no idea until it "passed;" but then again, he was a HUGE sulky by then and at least 15 pounds that summer. Get yours checked (x-rayed) soon, if its only 1 1/2 years old.

: Help! I had my approximately one and a half year old sulcata outside and when I turned my back for a minute she ate a nutshell. I turned just in time to see it disappearing down her throat. I'm pretty sure it was a half a shell, 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide and long. She swallowed it fine, is breathing fine, had a bath and went to bed. But I'm worried she won't be able to pass it and could become impacted. Has anyone had experience with this? Should I be worried?

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: How big is your sulcata? Size (inches) and weight (pounds)? And how big was the nutshell - what type? (peanut shells are huge compared to pistachio, etc). I always advise consulting a vet and doing an x-ray, sooner rather than later in case an endoscopy is needed (this happened once with Albrecht when he ate some fabric, don't ask, it is one crazy story, but if we had been later with the endoscopy, it wouldn't have worked and the only other option would have been to open him up, which should be avoided with torts - they aren't like dogs and cats with accessible operatable gut since it would have meant cutting through his shell). If you must do an endoscopy, it is important to determine that right away, before the shell is digested even further. : Size of the tortoise and size of the shell are relevant here: Albrect once ate a pistacio nutshell that he found scavanging and I had no idea until it "passed;" but then again, he was a HUGE sulky by then and at least 15 pounds that summer. Get yours checked (x-rayed) soon, if its only 1 1/2 years old. : : Help! I had my approximately one and a half year old sulcata outside and when I turned my back for a minute she ate a nutshell. I turned just in time to see it disappearing down her throat. I'm pretty sure it was a half a shell, 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide and long. She swallowed it fine, is breathing fine, had a bath and went to bed. But I'm worried she won't be able to pass it and could become impacted. Has anyone had experience with this? Should I be worried?

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