Urinary Bladder Stone Removal Surgery in Sulcata tortoise (Geochelon sulcata) with Lateral Plastron Osteotomy Technique

Abstract

This paper aimed to examine the management of urinary calculi of a sulcata tortoise. A 5-year-old Sulcata tortoise (Geochelon sulcata) was presented with a history of dehydration, loss of appetite, and lameness. Clinical signs and radiographic examination indicated urinary calculi in the urinary bladder. Radiographic results revealed that there was a radiopaque urinary calculi mass. Plastron osteotomy and cystotomy techniques were used to remove urinary calculi. The appetite of the tortoise returned to normal in a week after the surgery. The lateral plastron is an appropriate osteotomy technique, especially for the immediate opening of the plastron with a stone-filled bladder. This was a safe area to open plastron since it was far from the heart. This method was not beneficial for the tortoise in their infancy since it would interrupt the development of plastron formation resulting in the postoperative asymmetrical plastron structure.