General Care Discussion :: do you think...

[tammi]

When I rescued my 1" turtle his hind legs were badly burned. I can only assume that was caused by him trying to cross the black top.
Not sure really. Well that was a month ago and he's using them somewhat. Mostly to just guide himself when he swims.
But doesn't really use them to swim with. He has been eating very well and all aroind seems fine.
I just wonder if he will ever regain the hind leg use. In the last month he has gain .2lb and has gained 1/8th of an inch. What do you guys think?

[theartbook35]

I'm not a vet... So I'm not really sure how he's going to do.

What I do know about turtles is that aside from being very resilient, they can swim when born siamese, can swim with a missing limb, shell deformities, and other unique circumstances. The turtle may or may not regain use of the hind legs, it's hard to say.

I think, for the future, you should have basking docks which are very easy to climb on, and you may have to keep your turtle in water a little bit lower than the average turtle. The burns may have made his legs extra sensitive, so a lower wattage UVB might even be needed. Maybe after some sheds that will get better over time.

You could also maximize the use of the hind legs through the way you handle him/her. Just let the turtle run across your hands, but, be quick about it because hatchlings are extremely fast. I usually do this with one of my turtles, she seems to really enjoy it.

I hope this helps a little bit. This is all I can offer you hun.

[tammi]

Thanks. I have made things easy to climb on for him and lots of resting space at different water depths.
He swims fairly well. But its like a comic act watching him swim. He dives in flips several times then swims like crazy with just his front legs.
But at this point I have him in about 8 inches of water and he manages. I just call him my special needs turtle .
When I first rescued him he wouldn't use his hind legs at all. And just kept them in his shell. I hope for his sake he does regain them.