My tortoise is dragging her back legs

Rad

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Jul 8, 2019
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Los Angeles,CA.
Hi all,
I'm new to this forum and this is my first post.
I need some help from experts here. I adopted two yearling cherry-head tortoise last week. I noticed one of them is dragging her back legs, swelling on upper area of her legs, and is not pooping.
I soak her two times a day in worm water and giving her calcium. She does eat.
How can I help her.

Thank you in advanced.
 

Lyn W

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Jul 22, 2014
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23,497
Location (City and/or State)
UK
Hi all,
I'm new to this forum and this is my first post.
I need some help from experts here. I adopted two yearling cherry-head tortoise last week. I noticed one of them is dragging her back legs, swelling on upper area of her legs, and is not pooping.
I soak her two times a day in worm water and giving her calcium. She does eat.
How can I help her.

Thank you in advanced.
Hi and welcome
This could be something kidney related.
Hopefully someone with more knowledge of your species and who may have seen this problem will jump in. If you can post pics of their enclosure(s) and of the swollen legs that will help members give you advice. Maybe @Yvonne G can help or will know cherryhead keepers. @ZEROPILOT maybe?
There is also a search facility you can use to try to find past posts about similar problems but I think you need to find a vet who specialises in torts asap
Are they housed together?
Have you noticed one following the other and trying to nudge up to the other?
I'm wondering if the one is bullying the other which happens when torts are kept in pairs and maybe it has started to get physical.
Any bites or marks on the legs?
I would separate them - especially as one is having trouble moving and could be a sitting target.
 
Last edited:

Yvonne G

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You might try water/swim therapy for a week or so and see if there's any improvement. Place the youngster in a bowl of deep water and allow, under supervision, the tortoise to "swim" and exercise the legs.
 

Rad

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Joined
Jul 8, 2019
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Location (City and/or State)
Los Angeles,CA.
You might try water/swim therapy for a week or so and see if there's any improvement. Place the youngster in a bowl of deep water and allow, under supervision, the tortoise to "swim" and exercise the legs.
I will do that. Thank you.
 

Rad

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Joined
Jul 8, 2019
Messages
4
Location (City and/or State)
Los Angeles,CA.
Hi and welcome
This could be something kidney related.
Hopefully someone with more knowledge of your species and who may have seen this problem will jump in. If you can post pics of their enclosure(s) and of the swollen legs that will help members give you advice. Maybe @Yvonne G can help or will know cherryhead keepers. @ZEROPILOT maybe?
There is also a search facility you can use to try to find past posts about similar problems but I think you need to find a vet who specialises in torts asap
Are they housed together?
Have you noticed one following the other and trying to nudge up to the other?
I'm wondering if the one is bullying the other which happens when torts are kept in pairs and maybe it has started to get physical.
Any bites or marks on the legs?
I would separate them - especially as one is having trouble moving and could be a sitting target.
Hi,
Yes, they are housed together in a 40 Gal. tank.
No bullying and no sign of bites.
 

Yvonne G

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10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Hi,
Yes, they are housed together in a 40 Gal. tank.
No bullying and no sign of bites.
This might be your problem then. You can't possible be there to watch them 24/7 and who knows what goes on while you're not looking? The one not limping may have gotten on top of the other one and caused some sort of injury/sprain to the back legs. Pairs are not a good combination. Three or more is ok, but with pairs it never works out.
 

Lyn W

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Jul 22, 2014
Messages
23,497
Location (City and/or State)
UK
They need a lot of space to roam and the more torts you have then bigger the space they need so that they can avoid each other. Torts are territorial and don't like sharing their space.
Bullying isn't always physical it can be staring, hogging the food and what some people think is cuddling but what is actually trying to move the other tort out of his space. Then you have nudging or barging which can eventually damage the shell making it bleed. One tort could also try to climb on the other or flip it over.
At the extreme end look for the recent thread where one tort (redfoot I think) has bitten the head off another.
Even in the early stages the tort being bullied will be having a pretty miserable life and be very stressed which will make it ill.
So to rule this out I would separate them, but you may still need blood tests to check it isn't something to do with the kidneys.
If you post some pics of the torts legs people who have experienced this with their own torts will be able to help you.
Pictures of their tank will also get you valuable feedback on whether it is something in their environment causing this problem.
 
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