Egg Laying Without Uterus?

[charlotteclaraschameleon]

Hi All!
SO, in July earlier this year, my little girl was stuffed with 77 eggs and appeared to be unable to lay so I had the operation done and the eggs removed. The vet did tell me by the time they managed to get all the eggs out of her, her vitals were weakening, and instead of keeping her sedated longer to remove both ovaries, they removed the eggs and uterus to make sure she came back alive and well. She's been great ever since then, made a wonderful recovery, and then to my dismay this morning I found her in her laying bin (I left it in just for kicks/it has a plant planted in it) DIGGING !! She didn't even start digging back in July when she was ready to burst. SO, can she possibly have eggs inside her? And would she be able to lay them herself without having a uterus? Or is she perhaps phantom digging and just following her instincts regardless of possibly not having any eggs? She genuinely doesn't look bigger than usual, and before she got HUGE and very heavy. ANY insight would be super helpful !

 

[ChameleonBrothers]

She might have a few eggs left over that she is trying to pass, or she is coming up on her second clutch. i would check with the vet and see if she can lay them herself or see if you have to remove them again.... Hopefully not that!

 

[jannb]

I'm not a vet but I'm pretty sure with ovaries she will continue to form eggs.

 

[charlotteclaraschameleon]

I'm not a vet but I'm pretty sure with ovaries she will continue to form eggs.

Would she be able to lay them herself without a uterus?

 

[jajeanpierre]

Would she be able to lay them herself without a uterus?

No she can't lay eggs without a oviduct (uterus). If she has produced egg yolks, they will end up free in her body. It will ultimately kill her unless they are removed and at the same time, the ovaries should be removed. Egg yolks are particularly irritating to the body. Usually an infection sets in.

The eggs won't be calcified as the oviduct is where the shell is put on the egg, so xrays won't be much help.

I think you need to speak to the vet who did the surgery. Maybe it is hormonal and not related to the presence of ovum.