Desert tortoise limping

[Alexispl]

Hello I’m a new owner to two desert tortoises. I got two because the rescue I adopted them from said they have been together for 40 years and were clutch mates. This isn’t the first time I have had desert tortoises. I had one as a child but now that I’m in my own home I wanted to give another one a new home. I’m treating one for respiratory infection. Both has been checked by a vet. But my male is limping from his back leg. If I pull it and touch it he doesn’t seem to be in pain. No flinching. But when he’s walking he can’t seem to fully extend it. He drops down to move his leg forward. He has been like that sense I adopted him. Anyone see something like that?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome!

I think the only way to know for sure would be to get an X-ray of the leg and hip.

I had a male Manouria tortoise last year whose hip joint had come out of the socket. He didn't fully extend his back leg when he walked either. I thought at the time that the larger female tortoise had fought off his sexual advances, injuring him. He needed surgery to have the ball cut off the leg bone. He's fine now and you'd never know that hip joint doesn't have the ball in it.

 

[Alexispl]

Hi, and welcome!

I think the only way to know for sure would be to get an X-ray of the leg and hip.

I had a male Manouria tortoise last year whose hip joint had come out of the socket. He didn't fully extend his back leg when he walked either. I thought at the time that the larger female tortoise had fought off his sexual advances, injuring him. He needed surgery to have the ball cut off the leg bone. He's fine now and you'd never know that hip joint doesn't have the ball in it.
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[Alexispl]

Thank you I will do that. I don’t know why I didn’t think of his hip.