My tortoise wont use her back legs! Help!

[Joanne Burcar]

I have a 1 year old leopard tortoise and I noticed she hasn't been moving around much the past 2 days. During a soak today I noticed she wasn't using her back legs to get around in the water. She had been walking fine before. Her back legs look a bit puffy also. Any ideas? I just moved and am looking for a new vet since their old vet is in another state. Please help! Is there anything I can do until I can get her in? So worried!!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Joanne, and welcome to the Forum!

The puffiness MIGHT be due to some sort of renal failure, but only a visit to a qualified tortoise vet will tell you for sure.

Have you been keeping the baby under a UVB light? Weakness in the legs MIGHT be caused by lack of calcium. And feeding calcium doesn't help unless you also have the UVB either from the sun or from a good light to go with it.

Tell us a bit more about how you're taking care of this baby and his habitat.

 

[Joanne Burcar]

Yes, all my torts have UVB light, heat lamps, fogger for humidity and vitamin and calcium given weekly. She seemed fine until a cpl days ago.

 

[tglazie]

Get her to a vet. It can be any number of very serious problems.

T.G.

 

[Joanne Burcar]

I am looking for a reptile vet as we speak. I just moved here so trying to find one.

 

[Joanne Burcar]

Yvonne, she is in an enclosed enclosure with coco coir substrate, some sphagnum moss, a humid hide, reptifogger on a timer for humidity, UVB/heat bulb for day time, night heat for night time, also on timers. Diet is fresh grasses and weeds I have potted indoors in organic soil, Mazuri tortoise diet sometimes plain, sometimes with grasses/weeds I have dried added in. They are all given vitamins and calcium added to food once or twice a week and water always available. Warm soaks 2-3 times a week.

 

[dmmj]

This will def. need a vet visit. Your diet sounds good, good substrate, and good lighting so my guess right now woulsd either be renal failure, or some type of blockage that is causing problems. There isn't much that can be done till a vet visit, sorry.

 

[Joanne Burcar]

 

[dmmj]

Poor tortoise, it alwauys breaks my heart to see that. There is def something wrong ( you knew that), find her a good vet, that is your berst course of action for now.

 

[tortdad]

Yep, vet time for sure. Hope she gets better

 

[Yvonne G]

It might be constipation or bladder stones. Sometimes this extra bulk will press on the nerves causing the temporary paralysis.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Ooh poor baby... Let us know what kind of answers you get. Good luck.

 

[TortsNTurtles]

Please keep us posted. What a beautiful leopard tortoise. I hope the Veterinarian can help.

 

[Joanne Burcar]

I will keep you all posted. Just gave her another soak and she is very lethargic, not moving much at all. The swelling in her legs seems to have gone down however. Found a vet nearby that supposedly does reptiles so going to call them first thing in the morning.

 

[Heather H]

I wish you the best of luck .

 

[dmmj]

weell even if the vet doesn't do tortoises, he/she should be able to order x-rays, and blood work to check kidnetyy function, and possible infection, at least start ruling things out. good luck, please keep us informed, thanks.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

What a bummer that this little tort didn't make it

I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[bouaboua]

Best wishes for you and your torts! ! !

So sad to see him in this way....

 

[DutchieAmanda]

What a bummer that this little tort didn't make it

I'm so sorry for your loss.

He didn't make it? I understood the owner was still looking for a vet?

 

[Heather H]

He didn't make it? I understood the owner was still looking for a vet?

im not sure.