Reach for this book whenever a sick or injured tortoise comes into the surgery. Essentials of Tortoise Medicine and Surgery is designed as a concise and practical quick reference for the busy practitioner seeing chelonians as part of their caseload. Covering everything from species identification to common basic surgery for tortoises and freshwater turtles, the emphasis is on the more common and likely diagnoses.

The first section of the book gives an overview of the basics of tortoise and semi-aquatic/ aquatic freshwater turtle husbandry and keeping, as well as a guide to general investigation and diagnostic techniques open to clinicians. The second section provides a clinical guide based on clinical signs and differential diagnoses.

Based upon the experience of authors who have been practicing with these species for several decades, this book is a useful guide to veterinarians, students, veterinary nurses and technicians new to working with these fascinating creatures. It will also serve as a useful aide memoire to more experienced clinicians.

1 Biology

2 Husbandry

3 Practice Needs

4 Examination

5 Basic Techniques

6 General Anaesthesia

7 Imaging

8 Surgery

9 Clinical Pathology

10 Anorexia

11 Diarrhoea

12 Dyspnoea

13 Otitis Media/Aural Abscess

14 Egg Retention/Dystocia

15 Fallen in Pond

16 Follicular Stasis

17 Orthopaedics

18 Fractures of the Shell

19 Hepatic Lipidosis

20 Lameness

21 Lethargy

22 Soft Tissue Masses

23 Nasal Discharge

24 Ocular and Conjunctival/Palpebral Swelling

25 Ocular Opacities and Blindness

26 Generalised Oedema or Anasarca

27 Inflammation of the Oral (Stomatitis) and Pharyngeal Areas

28 External Parasites

29 Internal Parasites

30 Peeling Skin or Shell

31 Prolapse

32 Shell Disease

33 Skin Ulceration

34 Soft Tissue Trauma

35 Swimming Problems

36 Swollen Limbs

37 Uroliths

38 Vomiting and Regurgitation

39 Metabolic Bone Diseases

40 Shell Deformities

Appendix 1 Formulary

Appendix 2 Haematological Normals

Appendix 3 Toxicoses

John Chitty BVetMed, CertZooMed, CBiol, MSB, MRCVS
John is a director of a small animal and exotics practice in Andover, UK with a 100% avian and exotics caseload. He works with several zoological collections and has lectured and published widely on a variety of avian and exotic species as well as co-editing two avian texts.

Aidan Raftery MVB, CertZooMed, CBiol, MSB, MRCVS
Aidan is currently the clinical director of the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic in Manchester, UK. He is a visiting lecturer at the Royal Veterinary College, UK, and has produced many chapters for textbooks on exotic animal medicine and surgery. He is also a regular presenter at conferences and at continuing education events for veterinary surgeons.