Dragging Leg

[Cicitina]

I am absolutely distraught. My tortoise was perfectly healthy yesterday when I brought him to the vet yesterday for a beak trim. They trimmed his beak and nails, listened to his heart and lungs and told me what great condition he was in.
The vet was wonderful and honestly it was the best experience I e ever had with a vet. They came highly recommended by a local wildlife rescue in my area.
This vet is also nearly 2 hours away.

Once I got my tortoise home from the vet and put him back in his table I noticed he wasn’t using one of his front legs and seemed to drag it a little.
I picked him up and checked both front legs, one he was using a lot of force with and was very strong, his other was very week and he wasn’t pushing me away with it like he normally would.

This morning I checked on him again, and it is the same.

I did notify the vet immediately and they asked me to monitor him for the next 24/48 hours and update them. They also assured me that he was wrapped in a towel during the procedure so his legs weren’t in the way.

Even while the vet was in the office with us and handling him, my tortoise seemed fine and moving all limbs perfectly.

The last thing they did do was use a heart monitor which they did move around in the area between his leg and neck that is affected.

I am worried that it could be dislocated, but really hoping he is just sore from the handling. What would signs of dislocation be?

Or has anyone else had a similar experience

 

[Cicitina]

I am absolutely distraught. My tortoise was perfectly healthy yesterday when I brought him to the vet yesterday for a beak trim. They trimmed his beak and nails, listened to his heart and lungs and told me what great condition he was in.
The vet was wonderful and honestly it was the best experience I e ever had with a vet. They came highly recommended by a local wildlife rescue in my area.
This vet is also nearly 2 hours away.

Once I got my tortoise home from the vet and put him back in his table I noticed he wasn’t using one of his front legs and seemed to drag it a little.
I picked him up and checked both front legs, one he was using a lot of force with and was very strong, his other was very week and he wasn’t pushing me away with it like he normally would.

This morning I checked on him again, and it is the same.

I did notify the vet immediately and they asked me to monitor him for the next 24/48 hours and update them. They also assured me that he was wrapped in a towel during the procedure so his legs weren’t in the way.

Even while the vet was in the office with us and handling him, my tortoise seemed fine and moving all limbs perfectly.

The last thing they did do was use a heart monitor which they did move around in the area between his leg and neck that is affected.

I am worried that it could be dislocated, but really hoping he is just sore from the handling. What would signs of dislocation be?

Or has anyone else had a similar experience

I would also like to add that he is 5 years old, and when I touch or move the leg he doesn’t seem to be in any distress. There is no swelling or bruising.
He is still eating and very active other than dragging his front leg along

 

[EppsDynasty]

I am so sorry this has happened, it can be more than stressful when you just don't know 'Why.' We recently received a Tort that had a Tarp wrapped around his front leg and has real issues using it. We have been using Hydrotherapy to help him exercise it without all his weight on it. If you can put him in water that is just a little higher than a normal soak it will allow him to move it without the burden of weight. This is something you need to keep a close eye on and make sure the movements of the leg are not getting worse. It very well could have been a strain from the towel wrap they did at the Vet.

 

[Yvonne G]

Did he get an injection in that leg?

 

[Cicitina]

Did he get an injection in that leg?

He did not! The only thing done to that leg was the heart monitor which the vet had pushed in that area and moved around to listen to his heart and lungs. That was the last thing done at the vet and he went from that to his transport container.

When I feel around the area I can feel one of his bones in his shoulders move, which feels fine and the same to the other side. It’s just he has 0 strength and can’t lift it. I wish I could share the video here of how he drags it

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

He did not! The only thing done to that leg was the heart monitor which the vet had pushed in that area and moved around to listen to his heart and lungs. That was the last thing done at the vet and he went from that to his transport container.

When I feel around the area I can feel one of his bones in his shoulders move, which feels fine and the same to the other side. It’s just he has 0 strength and can’t lift it. I wish I could share the video here of how he drags it

You can share a video by posting it on some other platform like YouTube and linking it here

 

[Cicitina]

You can share a video by posting it on some other platform like YouTube and linking it here

I do not have YouTube, the only other platform I use is Instagram. I have shared the videos in a Facebook group but it is a private group for Canadian tortoise keepers, is there a tortoise forum on Facebook I can post them to?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I do not have YouTube, the only other platform I use is Instagram. I have shared the videos in a Facebook group but it is a private group for Canadian tortoise keepers, is there a tortoise forum on Facebook I can post them to?

Instagram should work too. I don't use Facebook and don't know any reliable groups there.

 

[Cicitina]

Instagram should work too. I don't use Facebook and don't know any reliable groups there.

i put them into weshare
Hopefully this link will work.
I placed him on the floor to get a better sense of how he was using the leg

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[Alex and the Redfoot]

Can't add any helpful advise (hydrotherapy looks like a good option) but please keep us updated!

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Is your tortoise walking any better?

 

[Lyn W]

When the trimmed his nails did they pull and hold his legs out?

 

[TammyJ]

Saw the video. Definitely pulled, strained or dislocated muscle. More likely to be strained, it seems to me. I think time and hydrotherapy will take care of this.
What a beautiful tortoise! Good luck and keep us posted please!

 

[Cicitina]

Is your tortoise walking any better?

I haven’t checked him yet this morning but last night he appeared to be trying to lift and use it but was still dragging it

I called the vet yesterday and they said they’d call back but never did. I’m waiting for them to open to call again

He is very active, eating and was sitting in his water dish yesterday after I cleaned it so I at least feel relief that he doesn’t seem affected by it

 

[Cicitina]

Saw the video. Definitely pulled, strained or dislocated muscle. More likely to be strained, it seems to me. I think time and hydrotherapy will take care of this.
What a beautiful tortoise! Good luck and keep us posted please!

Thank you. I’m hoping it’s something as simple as that and not a fracture. I’m waiting for the vet to open to call them

 

[Cicitina]

When the trimmed his nails did they pull and hold his legs out?

They brought him to the back, but my tortoise isn’t much of a fighter. Hes very cooperative for trims and the vet even said he didn’t struggle or move much

 

[COmtnLady]

i put them into weshare
Hopefully this link will work.
I placed him on the floor to get a better sense of how he was using the leg

WeTransfer | Send Large Files Fast

The simple, quick and secure way to send your files around the world without an account. Share your files, photos, and videos today for free.

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All I see is ad after ad... and Gwyneth Paltrow doesn't resemble a tortoise.

 

[EppsDynasty]

This will take time to remedy itself, no matter 'What' that is. A close eye on him doing your best to not allow him to strain it any more. A dark small space at night for him to feel safe and not claw at the walls, might be an option as well. Limited movements with Hydro Therapy and is really your only options now, the vet ain't helping.

 

[Cicitina]

This will take time to remedy itself, no matter 'What' that is. A close eye on him doing your best to not allow him to strain it any more. A dark small space at night for him to feel safe and not claw at the walls, might be an option as well. Limited movements with Hydro Therapy and is really your only options now, the vet ain't helping.

He has a vet appointment tomorrow morning but I will definitely keep him calm until then. He has just been basking in one spot this morning, seems to still be the same with his leg. I will give him a little soak this afternoon and hopefully the vet can at least prescribe something

 

[JTH]

Sorry that your tortoise is having this problem; I agree with others that it sounds like (at best) a muscle strain, or (at worst) a fracture or over-stretched ligament or tendon. The fact that the tortoise is still eating and drinking normally is a good sign. Hope an x-ray might reveal the problem.
Just a suggestion... my red-footed tortoises used to get over-grown jaws, which needed trimming, which resulted in a lot of stress for the animals. Then a friend suggested that I feed the tortoises on a flat, coarse-grained rock... which gives them a constant beak trim as they eat. It worked wonderfully... no more over-grown beaks or or need for trimming. And by scattering a few other flat rocks around the enclosure, it keeps their claws neatly worn down, so no more over-grown claws either...