Monday, February 29, 2016

Skye's Surgery

Skye had surgery today to remove her undeveloped eggs (technically called "ovum") and to remove her ovaries and oviduct. This same surgery happened to Fat Lucy last July but I had foot surgery that day and couldn't watch. Today I got to watch. 


Skye did NOT like being weighed. Or poked. Or moved. ;) She just wanted to stay all wrapped up in her blankie. 

It took awhile to get her to go to sleep. 


After about 15 minutes, she appeared to be out. 


The actual surgery took 20 minutes. And, no, I won't post close up pics. 


I cannot believe how many egg sacks she had in her. No wonder she was huge. Each ovary had a cluster of 20+ ovum attached. Normally the ovum would form and then drop down into the oviduct. For some unknown reason, Skye's body collected the ovum around her ovaries. They would have stayed stuck there until they started to decompose. The rotting ovum eventually would create a toxic infection that would kill her off. 

Often, the only way to tell a female beardie is plugging up with undeveloped eggs is that they stop eating. Fatty Lucy went to the vet for a respiratory infection and that's when Dr Folland discovered the lumps in her belly and did an X-ray. Fatty Lucy had as many ovum but some of hers had started to rot. 

Here's Skye's "eggs." They are all perfectly healthy. I can see why she weighed 600 grams before surgery! 


I asked my vet a TON of questions about eggs, etc. as he operated. I will, in the next day or two, write a blog post on bearded dragon eggs. 

Skye's previous owner was so upset to learn Skye had eggs and needed them out. I told her there was no way she could have known. I didn't know about it before I rescued Fatty Lucy and took her to the vet-- and I didn't even take her because she was fat! She went for a check up because of an upper respiratory infection! Without that reason to be seen, I never would have known. 

But I will say this-- Dr Folland says the biggest symptom of becoming egg bound like this is not eating. Skye was also really fat and bloated. 

More egg info soon! Promise!

Skye is home now. I can tell her belly hurts. She's on a good pain medicine and will be for the next 10 days. I think she will feel so much better without all that in her! 


She's in a soft sick tank so she won't hurt her belly. 


I expect her to be up and moving around in the next few days.