Demography, commonly diagnosed disorders and mortality in chelonia under UK primary veterinary care: a VetCompass study.

Background
Little information has been published on the health status of pet chelonia. This study aimed to report on demography, commonly diagnosed disorders and mortality in chelonia under UK primary veterinary care in 2019.
Methods
Electronic patient records on a random sample of chelonia in VetCompass during 2019 were reviewed to extract species, diagnosis and mortality data.
Results
Of 2,040 chelonia, 1,923 (94.26%) were recorded as tortoises, 74 (3.63%) terrapins and 43 (2.11%) turtles. Of the 811 (42.17%) tortoises with species information recorded, the most common species were Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni) (311, 38.35%), Horsfield’s tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii) (259, 31.94%) and Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoises (154, 18.99%). The most commonly diagnosed disorders were beak abnormalities (16.72%), overgrown nails (11.47%) and shell abnormalities (9.80%). The most common causes of death were disorder undiagnosed (44.55%), dog bite (5.45%) and anorexia (3.96%). Of 178 deaths with age recorded, the median age at death was 7.32 years (IQR 2.50-15.14).
Limitations
Restricted lifelong records and clinical work-ups were a frequent limitation.
Conclusion
This is the largest study of chelonia to date. It has highlighted that the most common disorders of chelonia are often linked to husbandry.