Dystocia (Egg Binding)

When a reptile experiences difficulty in laying her eggs it is unlike mammals who experience primary uterine inertia or hypocalcemia. In reptiles the condition is usually related to one of two basic groups of causes. Often times the underlying cause of the condition is never discovered. Dystocia may occur as a result of an obstruction caused by an anatomical abnormality that does not allow the eggs to pass through the oviduct normally. It may also be the result of unusually large or malformed eggs. Dystocia may also occur when there is no obstruction present and the eggs appear to be normal upon radiographic examination. In these cases the cause is usually attributed to the fact that improper nesting sites or materials were provided or that less than optimum captive conditions exist, such as improper temperature or malnutrition. Diagnosis this condition is best performed by a qualified reptile veterinarian that should be provided with a complete history of captive conditions, nutrition and mating by the owner. This is one of the many reasons that good record keeping should be practiced by all owners and not just breeders or institutions. There are many method for treating this condition depending of the diagnosis. They range from manual palpation and hormonal stimulation to surgery and removal of both the retained eggs and the sexual organs. About 10% of all captive reptiles appear to experience egg retention. Out of this 10% the largest group to appear to experience this condition are snakes. This may be a result of the fact that more snakes are bred than any other group of reptiles, but more research is necessary to determine whether this is actually the case or if they are more prone to this condition for some other yet unknown reason.

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