gwennie wrote:I don't think it would be worth the risks of operating on a female turtle. Turtles don't do extremely well with anesthesia.
I have heard there is a shot you can get from the vet to get a female to stop laying during the laying season though. I'm not sure what it is exactly, but one person had it given to their turtle after she went on a laying marathon and it was just taking too much out of her to continue.
As for males, it would probably be easier to operate on their bits than a female's reproductive organs, but I'm not sure it would eliminate any aggression...
Because they're reptiles, they're not as easy to put under for surgeries & monitor, and also they heal much slower. I think the risks would outweigh the pros definitely.
Gwennie, yeah, I was aware that reptiles aren't good with anesthetics or even common sedatives, for that matter, I'm just curious if the procedure has ever been successful. I don't necessarily want to have my turtles fixed, but I figured this would be informative to some about what might very well be an option, if performed correctly, of course.
I've noticed that the majority of aggressive behavior that happens between males and females in during attempted mating. In other words, their hormones rule their behaviors. I bet if a male got snipped it'd calm him down dramatically.
I don't want anyone who is new to turtles, or looking for a way to house their turtles because they think they'll "just love each other so much", to use this as an attempt at a "solution". I want this to be informative for those who have had turtles a long time, and are flipping sick of having to build a nesting box and worry about them being egg-bound. The shot sounds like a great idea. I don't think many people on here even knew about that before you mentioned it.
Marisa, any spaying/neutering surgery is risky with any animal, even our fluffy cats and dogs. Ultimately, yeah, separating costs the same as getting them fixed. The surgery, because they are turtles, could be even racked up more. But since people don't want to breed hybrids that are calmer and will get along with their turtle parents/tank mates better, my thing is, I bet a lot of a turtle's aggression is due to hormones. Unless you want to breed your turtles, they don't need their reproductive organs. I'd hate to be so hormone driven all the time, and they could probably live less stressful and healthier lives.