Joey recovering after the surgery next to her huge bladder stone.
An 82-year-old tortoise from Cornwall has undergone major surgery to remove a bladder stone “bigger than a tennis ball”.
Joey the tortoise needed the expertise of two veterinary surgeons to safely remove the 150g mass through her shell.
Pas Medina, an advanced exotic pet practitioner, offered his support to Viliam hoping to get Joey back to full health as soon as possible.
Pas said: “Operating on tortoises is a challenge because we need to get access to the inside.
Pas added: “There are several challenges associated with this surgery and with reptile anaesthetic. These animals’ metabolism is very slow and dependent on the external temperature.
Both surgeons and other veterinary staff were “very surprised” by the mass of the stone when it was successfully removed which “ended up being bigger than a tennis ball”.
While the stone could have been growing inside Joey for years, or even decades, it can be difficult to assess whether tortoises are in pain or not.
Pas said that the owner was “very good” at reading the signs and bringing Joey to the vet as soon as possible.
“Tortoises are tough fighters and can take a lot before they look sick,” Viliam added.