Tort unable to move

[CharlotteCl]

Hi, I have a 20+ year old med spur thigh who for the last week or so has been getting weaker on his legs. I went to the specialist vet last week and there is nothing obvious wrong with him. So we agreed to bath him twice a day in calcium (he wont eat it) and see how he goes as long as he is still eating. He is eating (at this stage we just wanted him to eat so it didn't matter what) greens. He is offered show thistle, forget me nots, plantain, dandelion flowers but he would only eat the greens. His legs have got worse now in that he can barely move at all. He tries and they just kind of shake very slightly, he does move a little but it is very slow and a lot of effort goes into it. He has been out in the sun for the last few days while it has been nice, when indoors he is on top soil and has a heat lamp and a uv strip (uv isnt always turned on). Going to go back to the vet and probably do bloods and maybe xrays but has anyone any ideas why may be wrong? He is still enthusiastically eating as long as I help him. He cant get his front feet up to wipe his face. And his legs definitely aren't lifting him up when he moves so the little he does move he drags . He was kept with a female sd theybhave never taken notice of each other but she has started head butting him since being like this so I have separated them. I also have another Male spur thigh who is also kept separate (was supposed to be 2 girls and a boy but turned out to be 2 boys and a girl!

 

[Yvonne G]

Calcium just gets excreted in the waste if there is no UVB. Your tortoise needs either two or three hours of real sunshine a week, or he needs to have a GOOD UVB light on him daily. The UVB lights loose their efficiency after a few months and need to be replaced. The only way to know their output is by checking them with a meter. Since these are expensive what most people do is just replace the light every 6 months.

You can try water therapy, but I really think this is a UVB/calcium problem. Water therapy: Place the tortoise in a tub of deep water he can't climb out of and allow him to 'swim' for about 15 minutes a day. you'll need to stay there and watch him to make sure he doesn't get into trouble. And naturally, if he doesn't automatically float, water therapy won't work for this tortoise.

 

[CharlotteCl]

He only woke from hibernation 4 weeks or so ago. And the last week give or take he has been out in the sunshine 6 ish hours a day. I have been bathing him in warm water with calcium in twice a day for about 15/20 mins a time since Thursday. I have to stay with him and watch as he cant move so he couldn't get out anyway.

 

[Yvonne G]

He only woke from hibernation 4 weeks or so ago. And the last week give or take he has been out in the sunshine 6 ish hours a day. I have been bathing him in warm water with calcium in twice a day for about 15/20 mins a time since Thursday. I have to stay with him and watch as he cant move so he couldn't get out anyway.

"Water Therapy" means the tortoise is in deep water so he can move his legs freely with only the water touching them, not the floor of the soaking tub.