Name
Diagnosis and Treatment of Urinary Stones in Chelonians
Date & Time
Tuesday, August 26, 2025, 3:50 PM - 4:50 PM
Nicola Di Girolamo
Description

Urinary stones are a common presentation in terrestrial chelonians, and have recently been shown to be associated with husbandry and dietary factors. Depending on the species, captive chelonians can have a prevalence of uroliths as high as 30%. There are two main locations where urinary stones are found in chelonians, the urinary bladder (left or right lobe) and the cloaca. Renal and ureteral urolithiasis is rare since urinary stone formation happens in the urinary bladder, mainly by congregation of uric acid. Stones located in the urinary bladder can be either an incidental finding on survey radiographs or can result in unspecific clinical signs, (decreased appetite, intermittent constipation, swelling of posterior limbs, loss of small amount of urine). Stones located in the cloaca typically result in more serious clinical signs, including complete lack of defecation, straining, swelling of the cloacal area, anuria. While urinary bladder stones are rarely a surgical emergency, since they have been probably present for long time before the diagnosis, cloacal stones need to be treated promptly to restore urinary and fecal output. Depending on the size and the location of the stone, different techniques can be used to remove urinary stones. In this masterclass, we will show different low invasive options to treat urolithiasis in chelonians.

Location Name
Grand 2
Full Address
The Westin Seattle
1900 5th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
United States
Session Type
Masterclass (1 Hr)