Red footed tortoise swelling/rawness in hind leg? Broken??

[tangie3199]

My redfoot has some redness in a hind leg of hers that worries me. It looks raw and almost arthritic, and compared to the other leg it feels stiff and much larger. I also don't think she is using that foot as much because her nails aren't worn down. Her leg is twisted compared to the other leg, she is pushing with it instead of walking directly on it. I have no idea how long this has been going on for either which is horrible. Could it be broken or sprained? Or some sort of infection?? We don't have a reptile vet in town so I need to know if I need to go in somewhere.

 

[Yvonne G]

Gently pull the leg straight and inspect in all the folds of the skin to make sure there isn't a hair or something like that wrapped around the leg

Besides that, it might be the hip joint is out of socket. Only an x-ray can tell you that. This can only be fixed by surgery. They cut off the ball joint. This is a common surgery and very successful.