Gastrointestinal obstruction by foreign bodies in a captive giant South American turtle (Podocnemis expansa)

• Autores: Lescano G., Jesús, Chipayo G., Ysaac, Quevedo U., Miryam
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2015
• Institución: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
• Repositorio: Revistas - Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:ojs.csi.unmsm:article/11009
• Enlace del recurso: https://revistasinvestigacion.unmsm.edu.pe/index.php/veterinaria/article/view/11009
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: giant South American turtle; chelonian; gastrotomy; prokinetic drugs; pica; tortuga charapa; quelonio; gastrotomía; drogas procinéticas

The case of a 4-year-old giant South American turtle (Podocnemis expansa) that presented anorexia, vomits and constipation during four days is reported. The animal was kept in a temperate land-water terrarium with gravel as substratum. The diet was only composed by commercial pelleted food for turtles. No alteration was observed during physical examination. Radiologic examination revealed multiple radio-opaque foreign bodies in the stomach. Gastric foreign body obstruction was diagnosed. Medical therapy was administered during seven days with limited success. Gastrotomy was performed and multiple stones of about 5 x 10 mm were removed. Then, the animal continued receiving medical therapy by means of prokinetic, analgesic and antibiotic drugs. The animal fully recovered.