Featured Image: wbrz.com
Recently, a turtle with missing back legs was brought to the LSU Veterinary School teaching hospital. Sandra Traylor, the owner of the turtle, says that she adopted him with one missing leg. He lost the other as he was attempting to escape his enclosure.
At a loss for how to help the turtle, Traylor brought him to the experts. Traylor says, “I was impressed by the interest they showed in a box turtle. Sometimes people have this idea that pets are just cats and dogs. It’s very strange to walk in with a turtle and sit next to a dog, but they were very good about it and they were very nice.”
Luckily, there was nothing medically wrong with the turtle, so the veterinarians were able to focus on helping increase his mobility. Kelly Rockwell, a zoological medicine intern said, “the wound had already healed quite well and he managed to get back on his own with his front legs somehow. Without his back legs, he’s a little less mobile. As a box turtle, he can still ’box up’ and protect himself that way, but due to his weakened mobility, the owners decided to make him a permanent indoor turtle.”
Rockwell built a specialized lego car kit and epoxy to add some mobility back into his life. Overall, it is a great ending for this little turtle named Pedro.