Reptiles and Amphibians Q&A 19
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This necropsy specimen is of a tortoise’s forelimb incised in sagittal section. The tortoise had been reluctant to walk.
| Question | Answer | Article | |
| What is your diagnosis? | Periarticular gout. |
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| Had this tortoise lived, how would you have treated this condition? | Increase the tortoise’s hydration by feeding moisture-laden food – for example, soft fruit. Decrease sources of dietary animal protein. Administer allopurinol orally (10–15mg/kg daily). Allopurinol will only reduce the amount of urate salts produced by the liver; it does not diminish the urates already deposited in and around the joints and in other sites. Small (0.10–0.75mg/kg) oral doses of aspirin will provide some relief from the pain associated with gout, but may predispose the tortoise to gastrointestinal irritation and bleeding. |
Link to Article | |