Shell advice

[celticvampyre]

My Sulcata is having some trouble with his back legs and I think it is because the back half of his shell is sunken down. He kind of uses his back legs to push himself along, but for the most part he just drags them. The vet. and I both think the sunken shell is putting pressure on his spinal chord. In order to relieve the pressure and help out his back legs, the vet wants to make a brace and hot glue it to his shell and gradually tightening a spring until his shell is raised up some. It's like braces.

My question is, does this seem like a good idea? My vet has never done this before and I want to make sure my little guy isn't going to be worse off. Do you think that with proper nutrition his shell will raise up on its own and his legs will get better?

 

[aka2tal]

Has your vet done Xrays? Does the Spine look damaged?

I don't think the concept he is suggesting will work, but then again, maybe it would. Anyone else out there seen this?

 

[Bansh88]

How long have you had him?
Tortoises take a long time to heal and get better. If he is showing any movement with the legs, I'd let him try to get better on his own.
Make sure he gets plenty of sun, warmth and healthy food. Give him tons of room to move around

 

[celticvampyre]

Has your vet done Xrays? Does the Spine look damaged?

I don't think the concept he is suggesting will work, but then again, maybe it would. Anyone else out there seen this?

The vet hasn't done an x-ray. And he doesn't think the spine is damaged because my tortoise is moving his legs ok. The vet just thinks that the shell is putting pressure on his spine.

 

[celticvampyre]

How long have you had him?
Tortoises take a long time to heal and get better. If he is showing any movement with the legs, I'd let him try to get better on his own.
Make sure he gets plenty of sun, warmth and healthy food. Give him tons of room to move around

I have only had him for almost 2 months. He has lots of room to move around, but he doesn't move much unless he gets too warm, and then he only moves to the otherside of his pool.
I need to find something I can take him outside in. Right now, I have to sit outside with him. I;m thinking of getting a rubbermaid container and putting a screen top on it for now. I want to wait for him to get bigger before I make him a permanent outside enclosure.

 

[T-P]

Is the shell soft and flexable?
Is the shell pyramided?
do you have photos?

 

[Crazy1]

celticvampyre, remember the shell of a tort/turt is like your fingernail. I have gotten hot glue on my nail and let me tell you it can burn-hurt like hell. I might rethink the hot glue if you decide to set your tort up with this brace. Just my opinion.