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d_virginiana
04-05-2014, 04:34 PM
So, I got back from a conference last night to find that Harley had a retained shed (taken care of after a long soak without too much assistance). Anyway, this morning I found what looked almost like a slug in her enclosure but not quite... It was definitely not poo or urates, but was much paler and smaller than I'd expect a slug to be. It seemed to be a plug of mucous-like material. The slugs/babies don't seem to have changed position at all; The skin where she had surgery last year is still kind of pinched, so I can see the position without doing anything.
She hasn't really eaten in a couple weeks (starting around the time she went blue for this shed) but is otherwise acting fine and a lot happier now that she's shed, and acting hungry so I'm going to feed her tonight.

Has anyone else noticed any sort of mucous plug passing before they give birth? If so, how long should I expect to wait before seeing something? I put her in with a male this year around mid-February, when she started acting like she wanted to mate, so I figure I'm probably going to be looking at a bunch of slugs if that mucous plug has anything to do with giving birth.

guidofatherof5
04-05-2014, 05:57 PM
Any chance for a photo?

d_virginiana
04-05-2014, 10:57 PM
If she hasn't crawled over it and crushed it I'll get one up tomorrow.

BLUESIRTALIS
04-07-2014, 05:16 AM
Have you kept the male in with her all this time or has he been removed?

d_virginiana
04-07-2014, 12:08 PM
I put her back in her own tub a couple weeks ago when she went blue. The shed looked like it was going to be an odd one (and it was) so I wanted her in the quarantine tub where I could monitor her closely and easily see anything.

There was another of those strange looking, pale plugs this morning, and the ovum/babies still don't look as if they've moved down her body at all. She's acting more active and happy than she has in a while... She doesn't seem to be actively trying to push anything out, so I'm thinking this may not be related to her passing ovum. Hopefully that's the case, since the vet said live babies would be easier to pass.

I'm starting to think this may be some sort of poo... A couple times since she was so sick, usually around a shed, she's had oddly pale, very solid poo. I don't know why this is; could be something was damaged in her system and she's producing more or less bile than she should, or maybe certain nutrients are being removed for a shed in greater quantities than they need to be?