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Treatment

If the female appears to be in good condition, providing it with a suitable nesting site in a properly heated and humidified terrarium and leaving it undisturbed may be all that is required to stimulate the birthing process. In other cases, eggs may be gently massaged out of the reproductive tract or hormone injections given to stimulate labor. If these efforts are unsuccessful, collapsing the eggs using a needle and syringe or surgery to remove eggs (or fetuses) may be necessary.

Living and Management

Dystocia can be a life-threatening condition, but if a reptile is in good overall condition and it is treated rapidly, recovery is likely. Females that have had difficulties laying eggs or delivering young in the past are prone to having similar problems in the future. Housing these animals in enclosures that encourage physical activity, providing proper nesting sites, humidity levels and temperature gradients, feeding them well, and keeping them healthy can help prevent egg binding and dystocia from becoming a recurrent problem.