Any ideas?

[dav3]

ok i may not be able to explain this good but ill try my best, I've been watching my tortoise alot as im concerned for his arm and leg, a few weeks ago i noticed him lifting up his left leg and jerking it about as if his hip bone was out of place, he then walked around for a few seconds then his body gave weigh and he was just lying there, so ive been paying more attension, few weeks past, no problems with his leg. today however it was a nice day for a change so we let him roam the garden for an hour or so, decided it was time to take him in, i looked over at the tank and he was doing those jerking movements with his arm (left hand side)

Is it possible his bones are disconnecting on the left hand side?
any ideas what this could be?

we taking him to the vet soon, anybody have any ideas?

ty

 

[wellington]

WOW, no idea. Have you check his legs and feet to make sure there isn't something stuck in them? Is he getting enough calcium and UVB? Please let us know what the vet says. Very interested in knowing what it could be. Good luck and here is another bump

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

WOW, no idea. Have you check his legs and feet to make sure there isn't something stuck in them? Is he getting enough calcium and UVB? Please let us know what the vet says. Very interested in knowing what it could be. Good luck and here is another bump

How do you "bump"?

 

[wellington]

Just posting on their thread will bump them up to the top again.

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Just posting on their thread will bump them up to the top again.

Oh ok thanks Wellington!

 

[Tom]

I have two guesses, but I'm not real confident about either. Just throwing out a couple ideas. One is that he has something bothering him on his face. Like dried food or a gnat or something. They will use their front leg in a jerky motion to wipe at it sometimes. This doesn't explain the back leg though, unless something was irritating the back leg on the other day too.

The other possibility is MBD. When their calcium level gets really low, they will start to have muscle twitches. I know you don't often have favorable tortoise weather there, but how much sun does your tortoise get and how much calcium? Do you use a D3 supplement? What indoor UV do you have and how old is your bulb?

If we eliminate these two possibilities, I'll be stumped. If its not these, he must have something neurological going on. I've never seen this in a tortoise, but anything is possible.

 

[Neal]

At first I thought it sounded like an MBD issue...it could be a dislocated limb, but I've never seen that in a tortoise, so I wouldn't really know what to look out for.

Let us know what the vet says.

 

[dav3]

back from the vets, thanks for the bump guys ok well it was an interesting experiance, as usual as soon a squirtle seen the vet he starting hissing at her lol and then she put her finger in his leg hole, he trapped her finger in there...she was screaming ( so proud of my wee boy) . so basicly the problems was that it was just cramp and cramp alone, i didnt know tortoise could get cramp, but ive to give him a little extra calcium each week and if it happens again ive to take him back for an xray. so hopefuly this is the end of it and if it isnt ill let yous know.

to neal, my other tortoise ivy (dead) has a disocated limb. its like they can only move there leg like 1 third inwards and they constantly do it until it clicks back in and then they can walk normal afterwards


thank you to everyone who wrote
mucho love
dave

 

[wellington]

Keep us up dates on this. I would be surprised of it's just a cramp. Wouldn't imagine a tort could get a cramp.

 

[dmmj]

It could be a neurological problem.

 

[Neal]

A cramp? Interesting...never heard of that in a tortoise.

 

[dav3]

we just have to wait and see, ill make a new thread if anything new happens