Please help! Is she gravid? Or sick? Swollen behind

[apaigec97]

So I rescued a turtle with both her front legs, one of back legs is missing a foot, the other leg is completely gone. I built her an enclosure and she seems to love it, but I think she may be gravid? She hasn’t been eating the last few days. Thursday she stayed in her water all day, Friday she did the same. Saturday she was wondering around everywhere but I haven’t noticed her digging. The ground is hard where i have her so today i used a shovel to make it soft. I got her some eco earth and put over the normal (now softened dirt), also got some sphagnum moss on the other side of her enclosure. I left a corner normal with grass and hard dirt. I gave her a warm soak last night and tonight. I have a box almost ready with sand in it, just need to add some eco earth and soil to it, in case i need to put her in to lay her eggs. Idk if I should put her in that or just see if she’ll lay them in the enclosure? Is she actually gravid or is something else wrong? I am new to this, but I’ve been doing a lot of research and trying to learn more. Someone please help.enclosure with new dirt pic at night but can post another in morningenclosure before new dirtday i got her (june 2 2021)

 

[ArmadilloPup]

Ouch Did someone find her in the wild or did she come from another home? Was her bum always swollen or is that a new issue?

I have no advice other than sand and moss is probably not necessary. I want to say it's wonderful you're trying to help. That's a nice enclosure! Hopefully a turtle expert bumbles through here soon.

 

[apaigec97]

Ouch Did someone find her in the wild or did she come from another home? Was her bum always swollen or is that a new issue?

I have no advice other than sand and moss is probably not necessary. I want to say it's wonderful you're trying to help. That's a nice enclosure! Hopefully a turtle expert bumbles through here soon.

I found her at my work in the driveway. We have a lot of traffic and a lot of stray cats and other animals around. If she had her back legs i would let her go, but I’m afraid something would happen to her. So I took her to my house and built her a house outside to keep her safe. She is friendly and was coming to me for food but now she doesn’t want to eat ?. She just stares at me. The swelling is new, noticed it 2 days ago, Thursday afternoon.

 

[apaigec97]

So I rescued a turtle with both her front legs, one of back legs is missing a foot, the other leg is completely gone. I built her an enclosure and she seems to love it, but I think she may be gravid? She hasn’t been eating the last few days. Thursday she stayed in her water all day, Friday she did the same. Saturday she was wondering around everywhere but I haven’t noticed her digging. The ground is hard where i have her so today i used a shovel to make it soft. I got her some eco earth and put over the normal (now softened dirt), also got some sphagnum moss on the other side of her enclosure. I left a corner normal with grass and hard dirt. I gave her a warm soak last night and tonight. I have a box almost ready with sand in it, just need to add some eco earth and soil to it, in case i need to put her in to lay her eggs. Idk if I should put her in that or just see if she’ll lay them in the enclosure? Is she actually gravid or is something else wrong? I am new to this, but I’ve been doing a lot of research and trying to learn more. Someone please help.View attachment 330590enclosure with new dirt pic at night but can post another in morningView attachment 330600enclosure before new dirtView attachment 330601day i got her (june 2 2021)

This was before swelling

 

[ArmadilloPup]

It's still kind of early, but let me try the bat turtle signal for some active users since they may not see this is a box turtle post!

@Eric Phillips @ZenHerper @maggie3fan @terryo

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, as you've suspected, she won't be able to dig a nest with only one leg. Problem is, the darned creatures only want to nest where THEY want to, and not where we want them to. Maybe it would help if you give her a large soaking tub and let her sit in the water as long as she wants to. Box turtles that don't feel good like to sit in the water. If it's not eggs causing the swelling, but constipation, soaking also helps that.

You could get an X-Ray to see if in fact there are eggs that are ready to come out.

 

[ZenHerper]

Yeah, totally agree. She either:

*Won't lay because she is waiting to go back home where her traditional nesting sites are, or

*Can't lay because the stumps won't give her enough purchase to bear down.

If constant soaking does not help her shift them, she should probably be evaluated by a reptile surgeon who can decide if it is best to remove her entire reproductive system.

Note: Alabama has banned capture of wild Eastern Box turtles. You may feel more comfortable handing her over to a state-licensed rehabilitator:

Current Wildlife Rehabbers | Outdoor Alabama

Official Web Site of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

www.outdooralabama.com

We'll be holding good thoughts for you both!

 

[apaigec97]

Yeah, totally agree. She either:

*Won't lay because she is waiting to go back home where her traditional nesting sites are, or

*Can't lay because the stumps won't give her enough purchase to bear down.

If constant soaking does not help her shift them, she should probably be evaluated by a reptile surgeon who can decide if it is best to remove her entire reproductive system.

Note: Alabama has banned capture of wild Eastern Box turtles. You may feel more comfortable handing her over to a state-licensed rehabilitator:

Current Wildlife Rehabbers | Outdoor Alabama

Official Web Site of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

www.outdooralabama.com

We'll be holding good thoughts for you both!

In Alabama you can hold only one as a pet

 

[ZenHerper]

In Alabama you can hold only one as a pet

You must apply for a permit...and any eggs are illegal to have, making a mature female a complicated legal case. Which is what I'm sure the law intends (making people think twice about picking up a female to take her home, that is).

Like I said, a rehabber would be a good resource to line up one way or another.

How is she looking today?

 

[apaigec97]

Anyways she is doing great now, it wasn’t eggs after all. I gave her a few warm soaks and she pooped it all out ☺️ No more swelling, think she was just constipated