Prolapso peniano em Jabuti-piranga (Chelonoidis carbonaria) com resolução cirúrgica: relato de caso

Abstract

Currently, exotic animals are popular pets that present different aspects in comparison to dogs and cats, such as low cost and short time invested in their maintenance. Among the exotic species, one of the main options are tortoises, which are terrestrial reptiles that present a compact body, robust members and a rigid carapace. Taxonomy includes these animals within the Class Reptilia, Order Testudines, Suborder Cryptodyra. Most diseases that affect reptiles are related directly or indirectly to inadequate nutrition or environments. In addition, one of the main causes of penile prolapse in captive Testudines is secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism, which occurs as a result of inadequate diet and maintenance. Moreover, one of the main predisposing factors is the unbalance of the calcium-phosphate ratio in feed. Penile prolapse may also occur as a consequence of other factors, such as trauma, forced separation during coitus, infections, inflammation, nervous damage, intestinal parasitism and cloacal impaction. Hence, this report aimed to describe a case of penile prolapse in 15-yearsold red-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria) that was submitted to penectomy. In anamnesis, the owner reported that the animal was fed fruits and some vegetables. However, there was no inclusion of animal protein or dark-colored vegetables in the diet. Physical examination revealed muscle weakness with slow walk and carapace deformation with lesions in the plastron from scraping in the floor. In addition, the penis was exposed with lesions due to the friction with the ground and failed to be repositioned within the cloaca. Then, clinical treatment with correction of diet and calcium administration failed to correct the prolapse and surgery was scheduled. Volatile anesthesia was used and total penectomy was performed proximal to the devitalized tissue. One month later, considerable improvement was observed with good healing of the surgical site and prolapse was not longer observed. In conclusion, the procedure was adequate in curing the main condition. However, the animal still had a minor difficulty in walking, which suggests that alterations derived from the flawed diet were still uncorrected.