VERY sudden problems with the ability to walk. (updated 2/11)

[Kobe]

MBD is what it looks like to me as well, but can symptoms just suddenly onset like that within a matter of minutes? Mobility has been completely normal throughout his life, then in an instant the problems occurred.

He has had a standard ZooMed compact fluorescent uvb lamp, and I just recently upgraded that to a PowerSun 160w. Things are a bit different in the winter when he is forced to be indoors. He has an area with substrate, humidity, hide box etc, but I leave this open to the home. I understand many disagree with this practice but my options are somewhat limited.

 

[Kobe]

I should also note that an x-ray was taken a little under 2 years ago and I was told bone density looked very good. So if MBD is the case, it appears as though this has been a relatively recent development.

 

[Yvonne G]

We couldn't see the rear leg action in the video, but my guess is he's not getting up off the ground on his rear legs either. It certainly looks like lack of calcium to me.

 

[leigti]

Does the head movement look a little bit funny to anybody? i'm definitely not an expert but it just didn't seem quite normal to me, like the tortoise could not quite control his head movements.

 

[Heather H]

I watched the video 4 times in a row. Does it look like he walks better on the carpet? Could the other flooring be cold and slippery.

 

[leigti]

They are always going to walk a little funny on tile. Carpet gives them better traction. evaluating their gate on tile or slick floors is not really accurate. I would pay more attention to the gate on the carpet.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

What I saw in the movie is a tortoise moving the blacklegs but not getting any lift at all with them, propelling with the front legs but not getting much lift there. I saw the pyramiding already described.

I don't know if the weakness is skeletal or muscular but suspect both. Hydrotherapy sounds like a good idea. I'd examine every aspect of care, habitat & diet to see what can be improved. When we are newbies it's easy to get overwhelmed by information overload. It's useful to reread care sheets on an annual basis to see what we're ready for, what we can add to what we already know and do. Cuttlebone? More time under lights? For now I'd make sure all his motion was on proper substrate until he's back to normal.