# Indian Star Tortoise swelling in the hind leg



## warlock (Aug 3, 2013)

Hi guys,
My star tortoise suddenly in 8 years first time has a swelling in her hind leg(left), I am attaching some pics.. dont know what is wrong.. it is never happened to her before.. not sure how she hurt the leg. If you can see the pics attached, it doesnt even go in as the other legs.. a little worried about it.

Any medicines?? or cure ??


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## Yvonne G (Aug 3, 2013)

Looks pretty serious. I don't suppose there's a tortoise vet in your town?


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## warlock (Aug 3, 2013)

nope no tortoise vet in my area / town / city .. i am from india.. our parents only make us IT/Computer science engineers  (pun intented) 

btw.. in the third pic her leg looks more yellow... this is because of the turmeric power I put on her leg.. (turmeric has got anteseptic properties..)

but its not in-active.. seems to be walking around the house.. at its normal rate.. and eating normally..


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## shanu303 (Aug 3, 2013)

where in india??? if from mumbai then there are some vets which our other members from mumbai have visited.... BTW how long have this been?? it seems to be abscess...... and if it is abscess then the only cure is surgical removal i guess..... can't be sure unless you visit a vet....


it could also be Septic Arthritis/Articular Gout

Septic arthritis and articular gout are both serious conditions that can be seen individually, but are often found together in the same affected joint. The symptoms include swelling of the limb joints, stiffness, and pain when the joint is manipulated. This condition is sometimes confused with rickets caused by a vitamin D deficiency. The occurrence of gout is closely associated with an overly high intake of dietary protein, which results in a higher than normal blood urea. This condition is most common in herbivorous tortoises that are fed animal protein instead of the more natural vegetarian diet. Treatment in mild cases usually consists of injectable antibiotics, with oxytetracycline or gentamycin commonly used. In more severe cases, the limb may need to be amputated.

well i'm not an expert, hopefully someone more experienced might specifically identify what it is..... i hope its nothing serious because i know how hard it is to find a decent vet(knows about reptiles especially tortoise) in india...


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## Jabuticaba (Aug 3, 2013)

warlock said:


> nope no tortoise vet in my area / town / city .. i am from india.. our parents only make us IT/Computer science engineers  (pun intented)
> 
> btw.. in the third pic her leg looks more yellow... this is because of the turmeric power I put on her leg.. (turmeric has got anteseptic properties..)
> 
> but its not in-active.. seems to be walking around the house.. at its normal rate.. and eating normally..



Hi. I've read studies about turmeric, which indicated that turmeric must be ingested, in order to have any antiseptic effect. I'm not familiar with topical applications. Also, the studies were done on humans and other mammals; therefore, do NOT feed turmeric to your tort, please. There's no telling what sorts of effects pure turmeric could have on her digestive system.

Are there any vets at all, in your area? Maybe they can recommend or consult with a vet with more experience, in reptiles. 


May[CHERRY BLOSSOM], Darwin[TURTLE] & Wallace[TURTLE]
Winnipeg, Canada


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## WillTort2 (Aug 3, 2013)

Could something be wrapped around the upper part of the leg causing restricted blood flow?


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## warlock (Aug 4, 2013)

@ willtortoise - no dont wrap anything around the uppar part of the leg.. 

@ Jabuticaba - no I am not feeding her turmeric.. although you dont have to consume turmeric for its antiseptic properties.. you can simply apply it over the skin (not sure it will work the same with the tortoise)


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## shanu303 (Aug 4, 2013)

@warlock turmeric's antiseptic properties are studied on humans, in general Mammals..... no effect or study has been conducted for reptiles so it is less likely to work.... and the swelling most probably is due to bacterial infection.... maybe pus accumulation like in humans but more severe.... the best option is to take to a vet and regarding that "Arotester" can help you with vet's address.... he's from mumbai too...


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