# Tortoise has a limp



## DesertTortoiseLove (Oct 24, 2016)

So my smallest not youngest tortoise has a limp. When we first found out we took him to the vet and then did an exam and he said he is fine and strong. Well it seems like it's getting worse again but I was curious what you guys would call this ? He seems fine and he actually is very happy and runs. I know he needs another vet appointment but besides that, what do you guys think? 






Ps. It's raining so he is inside eating and I'm watching the entire time.


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## wellington (Oct 24, 2016)

Wow, did the vet do X-rays? I don't think he would walk like that if everything was good. Maybe a new vet is in order.
Can you try and compare the two back legs with each other. Almost looks like his knee is not in the right position or its a really weak leg.


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## DesertTortoiseLove (Oct 24, 2016)

I agree with finding a new vet. I spoke to one in Yorba Linda . she was amazing ! The other vet didnt want to do xrays and told me the legs are fine. I was not impressed. Comparing both legs seems okay just seems week I don't know but he has had this for a while but now that it's getting colder I notice it getting worse he was pretty good and didn't really have a limp during the summer.


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## Lyn W (Oct 24, 2016)

I definitely think an xray is needed.
Good luck with the new vet and hope he's better soon.


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## wellington (Oct 24, 2016)

You could try some hydrotherapy on him and see if it helps to strengthen it, if that's all that's wrong. Maybe he got it stuck in something and when he pulled it out it pulled something.
Hydrotherapy, just fill a container with warm water, deep enough that he has to swim. Watch him the whole time. If he sinks to the bottom, use like two fingers under his shell between his front legs and help to hold him up, while hopefully making him use his back legs to try and get away. If he learns to swim then you can just let him do it. Every day for about 15-20 minutes, not swimming all the time, but a lot of it. Do this for a couple weeks and see if he improves. If he does but not all the way, continue it.


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## Carol S (Oct 24, 2016)

It looks like something is perhaps wrong with his knee. Poor little guy. The vet that I use for my tortoises is in Yorba Linda, Dr. Greek and Associates. They are fantastic.


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## deadheadvet (Oct 24, 2016)

Before you throw the vet under the bus, I would venture to say that radiographs were offered to the poster. It is possible the poster declined radiographs due to cost. The other possibility is the tortoise would not move during the exam. Did you show the video to the vet at the time of the exam? There are always 2 sides to every story. We deal with this every day when we get records for a second opinion. The client says one thing, and that is completely different then the medical records furnished by the veterinarian who did the initial exam.


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## wellington (Oct 24, 2016)

deadheadvet said:


> Before you throw the vet under the bus, I would venture to say that radiographs were offered to the poster. It is possible the poster declined radiographs due to cost. The other possibility is the tortoise would not move during the exam. Did you show the video to the vet at the time of the exam? There are always 2 sides to every story. We deal with this every day when we get records for a second opinion. The client says one thing, and that is completely different then the medical records furnished by the veterinarian who did the initial exam.


I agree, that does happen. However, she did say in post 3 that the vet didn't want to do X-rays.


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