You said you just got the female. Did the prior owner say anything about her laying eggs just before you got her? That swelling resembles a retained egg. Feel the lump and if it is soft she may pass it, if it is indeed an egg. You can try soaking her in lukewarm water for 30 minutes, and give her plenty of exercise outside her container. If you have a way of squirting a small amount of vegetable oil into her vent, do it, but be gentle. You can check with your local pet shop or veterinarian's office. They sometimes sell small plastic feeding tubes attached to a syringe. The obvious option is to take her to the vet, but I would try the other things first. I just went through this with a female that laid eggs for the first time, and she couldn't pass the last egg. Sometimes their egg laying is interrupted, but they can resume laying. Mine was able to pass the large egg after I soaked her, put a half cc of oil in her vent, exercised her for a few hours and then rested her. Two days later she passed the egg.
|