General Care Discussion :: Update on Tobi girls "gravid" behavior...

[camee1991]

Ok! This is NOT fun! lol

She has STILL not laid "anything"....I have taken her outside everyday for hours, let her be "alone" in her nesting box daily also (which she only tries to escape from)...and let her walk around the house daily (no digging behavior in the carpet)....

I have since had to rig the top of her aquarium...with a topper screen and 12 pack of pop holding it firmly on cuz she is trying to slip out everytime she gets on her basking area! She is STILL not eating (only a couple bites of shrimp in the past few days)...going crazy in her tank...falling off the dock onto her head! ........

Everyday she will walk outside and YES she has since found at least 3 places in which she has stayed for over an hour and DUG with back feet (she will find her spot with her head and front feet, then turn around and start digging with her back feet) , like kneading bread sorta digging...cute...but no eggs. She will dig and dig and sit for a LONG TIME..(as I MELT in the sun) and then she will suddenly just get up and walk off!

I keep thinking, OH THIS IS IT!!! And nope! She just walks away! Man, I dont know how long I can handle this?! I have her tank "toweled" now, it is the ONLY thing that seems to calm her down. But while she is on our home floor she just walks and walks and walks. Acting totally normal.

Man, I just dont know?! BTW..if it makes any difference; she HAS shed her bottom scutes this week too! Last time she shed she did NOT have this behavior though. She just scratched on things alot. lol

HELP!

[SpotsMama]

A herp vet can help. Tobi can be x-rayed to see if there are eggs inside and what's their status. Then there's a drug a vet can administer in case of a turtle that's having a lot of difficulty laying that will help her to lay.

Hang in there - I feel for you and Tobi both. You've been very kind to try to help her out.

[camee1991]

Thanks Spotsmama! I feel like there is more I should be doing though...ya know? I wish I could just pull em' out! lol

But ya, I have thought of the xray thing. Already spoke to the vet about her being gravid and she gave me the same suggestions that I am doing. So...If nothing happens today, hopefully...... then I will probably get her an xray scheduled. My vet isnt a herp vet, but knows enough and has seen Tobi a few times; so Im sure she can handle her.

Poor baby, I feel so bad for her! I dont even FEEL the eggs, so they must be like baby M&M's or something... which could be normal for 1st clutch I suppose.......I pray she just "chills" and lays them in the tank! That would be soooooo nice! And for her to get back to her normal behavior! I cant wait. She is like an ADHD child right now! For REAL! Cant keep my eyes off her. I pray she doesnt get "egg binding"..thats all Im worried about. But Im TRYING (

[SpotsMama]

You are definitely giving it your all. I'm sure Tobi will come through ok. But do ask your vet about the drug - it sort of induces labor. Sounds like Tobi's gone through a lot.

[camee1991]

Yeah, she HAS gone through alot..but how does someone know if it is normal? I mean...is there a set time that when the behavior starts that they lay eggs? Or for some is it that day..and some a few days? I guess it is just strange to me that she can show signs in 1 day and that means she is ready to lay, ya know?
But if that is the truth and what needs to happen then YES she has been through TOOOOOO much by now. Man, now I feel worse! And yes, I will ask for the drug!

Thanks Spots!

[SpotsMama]

The name of the drug is Oxytocin.

Good luck - let us know how it all goes.

[camee1991]

Like Petocin? I had that when I was in labor. Hmmmm....


Okies...I will keep ya'll updated!!!

[camee1991]

Hey Spotsmama...

I just read on another reptile site that they recommend to put your RES in a nesting box or let them outside daily for sometimes WEEKS! They said it can take that long! Have you ever heard of that? Or you think she should be DONE by now? (A little over a week) Just wondering. Cuz I can hang in there if she needs "a few weeks" (UGH)...but if that is wrong and too long, then Im off to the vet if nothing happens.

[steve]

I would only put her in the basking box or outside when she is exhibiting the nesting behavior. Other than that, she might not feel like laying them.

The areas she's digging, is she repacking the dirt or just walking away? Are you certain she hasn't laid them? It is very hard to see and dig up.

As for when, my girl preferred late morning/early afternoon. It will likely differ and it can be part of their personal preference. Both times she was willing to lay them, there were rainstorms the previous day. Even though she was inside, I believe she knew it had rained and the ground would be softer to dig into.

I would never leave them outside or in a box, even for a day.

[camee1991]

Steve, I would NOT leave her nesting box outside with her in it! Please dont think Im that way.... Her box is inside where I can watch all the time (only a couple hours at the most at a time) and when she is outside she is on her own (with me trailing) looking for a spot.

No, I dont take her out unless she is having her crazy behavior...but since she has it almost 24/7 unless I have already taken her out for a while (that calms her) then she stays in her tank.

See, when she is out...it has been daily ALL different hours of the day and she has now since made over 6 nesting sites...;just sitting in them for a while then gets up and walks off. No covering at all. I even check around in case she doesnt cover. But I watch her the whole time every time.

If she HAS laid them, only her tank would be my guess and ate em and I didnt know...but her nesting, crazy behavior should be gone though, huh?

I just dont know. I called the vet a few minutes ago and she told me she could xray her for $45.00 tomorrow if I wanted. So....looks like if things dont progress this evening...we will be xraying her. And she can give her oxytocin also and spotsmama mentioned. But we are gonna look for eggs 1st.

If there are NO eggs I will be freaked! What could be the matter?!!!!? Yes, as you can see...this IS stressing me out a bit!

[DavidY]

WOw, that must frustrating! Again, it reminds me of when my wife was pregnant with our first child. She went 2 weeks past the due date before they decided to induce labor (with petocin). My son came out looking like a 1 month old baby with a full thick head of hair, eyes open and focused (he was 9lbs 5oz).

[camee1991]

David...Haha! Sounds like ME too! When I had my girl she was 2-3 weeks late and had a head of hair and looooong nails and was clean as a whistle! (she was 8.4oz and 20 1/2 in. long) At least it wasnt my gramps at over 13 pounds!!! (And I was nuts too! It was middle July! UGH)

OMG TOBI IS DRIVING ME NUTS! We have just been in about an hour and she usually calms down in tank after walking outside and OMG! I have a 10 gallon metal lid on top of the tank over her basking area with a 12 pack of Dr. Pepper holding it down...and she is continuously trying to STILL get out! Getting her claws into the metal and trying to push her head through! She wont STOP!!!!!! I keep going over "BEGGING" her to STOP! Wish I could paddle her like a kid and tell her NO! And she would listen?! NOT! I dont know what to do until tomorrow!!!!

Anyone want a very active turtle?! lol

[steve]

Camee, I didn't mean to imply that you were leaving her outside! My last sentence in my previous reply was regarding your previous mention of people saying they were leaving them outside for weeks at a time. If she is wanting out, then I would let her outside again. Perhaps you can fill a plastic container to rehydrate her so you can have her outside more?

Can you tell why she is not finishing? It's been said the barriers, like branches and rocks might cause them to stop. Also, does she go into the "trance"?

For an X-Ray, I think $45 is reasonable (I was charged $100 last time).

[camee1991]

Steve...I didnt mean it to sound like people were leaving their turts in nesting boxes outside for days. I meant that they said that they "nested" (went through the same ordeal) for weeks, until finally laying. (miscommunication, sorry)

I cant tell why she is not finishing. The spots she has been finding have been close to a BIG rock or side of house or fence (Im assuming for protection). There have been no branches in the way or anything?! She hasnt gone into the trance either. I thought she was gonna today...but she was just closing her eyes for a minute I guess, cuz not long after she just got up and walked away. Believe ME, Im waiting for that "trance" stage!!!!

And COOL about the xray fee. I didnt know what was normal. That sounds good. If we make it through today without me going nuts or putting her in "time-out" somewhere...(j/k) we will go xray!

[industrial_girl_2000]

Camee, I'll be crossing my fingers your girl lays her eggs soon.