# Unfortunate Tortoise Accident



## PATMAN (Aug 2, 2009)

I am responsible for a very unfortunate accident with a baby leopard tortoise I have. I keep two of them in a small pen outside. To the bottom of the pen I attached wire screen to prevent escapes but at the same time it allows grass and weeds to grow through for them to eat.

One day I picked up the pen and moved it, not realizing when I put it down one of the tortoises legs had gotten caught between the wire and the ground. I didn't see this because the tortoise was in a hide box at the time. The next day when I went to feed it I found the tortoise stuck. The circulation had been cut off and the leg looked like it had dried up. I felt terrible.

Later the leg swelled up and I thought it would be OK. Over the next day it started to turn a dark color so I took it to the vet. He gave me antibiotics and told me to soak it daily for a few days. The leg became darker and also hard and I knew it was a dead leg.

The vet agreed and said it would have to be amputated. He was nice enough to do it for free and charged me only for supplies. I was surprised that all the women working there made such a fuss over this little tortoise.

The same day surgery was a complete success and it was eating as soon as I brought it home. It gets around pretty good on 3 legs right now and is very active. Below are some pictures.

*Leopard Tortoises Dead Leg/foot*






*After amputation*





*3 Footed Tortoise today, healthy and active.*


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## Yvonne G (Aug 2, 2009)

Oh man! Poor little baby. I have a similar story. I have several quarantine pens and one was empty, so I turned over the large plastic storage bin lid that I had been using for a waterer, and stood it up on its side. After a few days, I had to put a tortoise in that pen, so I took hold of the lid to add water to it. There, trapped under the lid was a dead desert tortoise baby. I had placed the lid on the baby's back, pinning him to the ground. Upon further inspection, there were three more LIVE babies in the pen. I usually used this quarantine pen for box turtles, but a whole year ago I had put a female desert tortoise in there. Evidently she laid eggs and was VERY successful at hiding her nest.

I cringe when I think of your baby's and my baby's suffering...but that is probably anthropomorphic.

Yvonne


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## shelber10 (Aug 2, 2009)

that is sad it was an accident all that matters is that he is ok and that he is doing fine


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## stells (Aug 2, 2009)

I'm sorry this happened Patrick... but accidents do happen and you shouldn't feel guilty...

You did what was right and got this tortoise the treatment it needed... thats what matters

Thanks for sharing this with everyone... its a learning curve... and a few would have stayed quiet...

Still a lovely little tortoise


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## Rhyno47 (Aug 2, 2009)

Many times a vet will suggest this as a solution to your torts problem....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwv8-QWVsz8


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## auerdoan (Aug 2, 2009)

I watched utube, that little turtle looks like shes been thrue a lot.
great idea with the wheel.


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## Isa (Aug 2, 2009)

Poor little tortoise  
I am glad he is doing good


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## Crazy1 (Aug 2, 2009)

Patrick, as people have said accidents happen. Thank goodness you found it when you did. In the future I would think it will need something to keep it from dragging its shell as it get bigger and increases in weight. Now is a good time to think of how you will supply that. Which is much more productive than just feeling guilt.


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## Maggie Cummings (Aug 2, 2009)

I have a couple of different animals with either 2 or 3 legs, a 2 legged pond turtle named Wobbles, a 3 legged box turtle, and I had an adult female Gopherus agassizii named Mildred who's family dog chewed off her front leg. I ended up with her and because it was a front leg she kept getting her plastron stuck in the dirt or grass or whatever she was trying to push across. I got an idea of cutting a billiard ball in half and gluing it to her plastron, but I couldn't find a tool that would cut thru the ball, but then I read about gluing a furniture slid on her plastron right at the 'corner' and she got along just fine until she died. Getting a wheel to work is more difficult then you would think and it may not be too important because it's a rear leg. But you might consider gluing a slide there to make it easier for her to get around. Here's a picture of Mildred (so regal) and her slide...
her face is red because I fed her strawberries...
















Sorry their so blurry, but the pictures were taken 4 years ago with an older camera...


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## stells (Aug 2, 2009)

Maggie... are you really a secret softie... i think you could be


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## Maggie Cummings (Aug 2, 2009)

stells said:


> Maggie... are you really a secret softie... i think you could be



No, I am not. But the reason I responded to this post and added the pictures was to say that a 3 legged animal can get along quite well, so I was just trying to tell the OP that he needn't worry about that little tortoise getting along. He'll do fine.


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## Yvonne G (Aug 2, 2009)

Don't believe a word she says...she truly IS a secret softie! And all of the "rejects" that she is taking care of prove it.

Yvonne


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## Stazz (Aug 3, 2009)

Aww Patrick it is a sad story but with a good ending. It is in NO way your fault at all, don't even think about it. I am so happy to hear the baby is doing well now, these things are just meant to be. We had a 3 legged dog for a while when I was small, he got the nickname Tripod....which I thought was quite cute (in no way used in a derogatory way!)


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## tortoisenerd (Aug 3, 2009)

Sad story but looks like the little one is doing well so far. Best wishes.


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## dmmj (Aug 3, 2009)

accidents happen as long as they were not done with maliscous intent there is not need for guilt, easy for us to say but I truly beleive it. Cooncerning less than 4 legged torts I have many rescued RES with one or more legs missing and they do just fine, often fighting with the 4 leggers just as heartily for the food. so no worries he should be able to get a long just fine, he may just take some time adjusting.


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## stells (Aug 4, 2009)

emysemys said:


> Don't believe a word she says...she truly IS a secret softie! And all of the "rejects" that she is taking care of prove it.
> 
> Yvonne




I didn't believe her for a second... but lets keep it to ourselves


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## Jacqui (Aug 4, 2009)

I am glad you posted these pictures. Was very interesting for me to see how the leg had looked when it was dead. You took a very negative thing (the leg being caught and then having to have it taken off) by not only going to the vet and fixing the problem, but sharing it with us, so we could learn. Thank you.


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## Stazz (Aug 4, 2009)

Yes I totally agree with Jacqui! Every word!


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## PATMAN (Aug 6, 2009)

Jacqui said:


> I am glad you posted these pictures. Was very interesting for me to see how the leg had looked when it was dead. You took a very negative thing (the leg being caught and then having to have it taken off) by not only going to the vet and fixing the problem, but sharing it with us, so we could learn. Thank you.




I definitely learned from this experience to check them more often.


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## Shelli (Aug 7, 2009)

Hmmm what about like an eraser for a shell protector that may help absorb some impact being rubber, is waterproof and nontoxic...
Not that I have ever tried this.. of course... 
Good Luck with your little tort..


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