Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 10:52 pm
taurusgirl- You will be amazed as your turtle grows up, how resilient they are. They put up with many, many different living conditions and are very good at surviving. Think about it, they were 50 times bigger, but, they were around even during the ice age, a time when the climate should kill a reptile. The giant tortoise did not die out quickly at all.
Now, one person on here, "tammi", has had a turtle for a while that had reduced use of the hind legs due to severe asphalt burns. After shedding, the movement in the legs has recovered. Burns are well known for causing nerve damage, too. Can I see some clear photos of the hind legs? Some photos of the top of the shell, too? If there is a spinal injury, I'd expect there to be an old crack or lesion of some kind evident on the shell. The turtle also might not be willing to use the legs because they could be broken. If I can see photos, if the turtle appears to have lumpy areas or an extra joint it shouldn't have, or the legs bent/contorted in a bizarre position, that's probably a fracture. That would need vet care right away. (Also, if the legs are far gone, they would have to be removed surgically to prevent the live tissue dying, and infecting the animal. Okay, look, I watched Emergency Vets on Animal Planet A LOT).
I think, since your turtle barely uses the legs beyond reflexes, that it might be a good idea for the time being to keep the water level very low, preferably no higher than the width of the turtle's shell, from left side to right side (not top to bottom). I'm sure mobility is very limited. Make sure there are a couple of things for your turtle to hang on two, since it's using only two legs to get around, and will probably tire easier than a turtle with use of all four legs.
Regardless, I've heard of turtles with missing appendages getting around just fine, siamese turtles (conjoined twins, basically) getting around fine, turtles with missing chunks of their shell having great balance, as well as missing tails. I'm not that worried.
Spike - Egyptian mau mix, 8 years old
Phryne - Japanese bobtail, 9 months old
Hurricane - RES, 8 yo, 6 1/2 in. long
Typhoon - RES/Map hybrid, 8 yo, 7 in. long
Sadie - RES, 20 yo, 10 in. long
Sophie - Colombian red tail boa, 5 yo, 5 ft. long