4067. Cloudy tank water and broken eggs - 18-year-old red-eared slider egg retention or binding?

Egg retention - unable to contract the uterus to expel the eggs

Egg binding - egg stuck inside the uterus and vent with difficulty in egg laying

LARGE IMAGE FILES

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An 18-year-old red-eared slider paddled furiously, laid pieces of egg shells for 3 days. Why? Thursday, 30 Dec 2021. "My red-eared slider laid sticky white stuff with pieces of broken egg shells, making her tank water white and cloudy!" a young couple consulted me (Dr Sing Kong Yuen) at Toa Payoh Vets at 10 AM.. A physical examination showed no discharge from the vent. "She still has good appetite," the lady mentioned. "X-rays will reveal the number of eggs not laid," I advised as one owner asked whether X-rays are necessary. X-rays showed 7 eggs retained. At 1.30 PM, I gave the oxytocin and calcium injections to stimulate the uterus to expel the eggs. At 4 PM, this video was created. Around 3 eggs were laid, but there were some chalky mass and pieces of egg shells seen in the tank water after the X-ray and before the oxytocin and calcium injection. Was this one of the 7 eggs? The owner took the slider home at 5 PM to monitor the egg laying. No more eggs were laid. Another oxytocin inj may be needed if the remaining 3 or 4 eggs are not laid. UPDATE AT BLOG: https://2010vets.blogspot.com/2021/12/4066-cloudy-tank-water-and-broken-eggs.html