Redfoot help?

[DrLew]

I've got a female redfoot about 3 yrs old - she's kept outside in the warm months in an 8' x 16' enclosure. Diet is perfect, etc. Noticed last evening both legs on the right side have seemed to blackened and dried up - looks almost like black beef jerky to be gruesome here. Anyone ever experience this with any of their tortoises? I've soaked her overnight in warm h20 and now it looks like black hydrated beef jerky.

[JLC]

I don't know a whole lot about turtles and torts....but if what you are describing actually matches the images created in my mind when I read it, I can't imagine why you haven't taken the poor thing to a vet. I realize it's a Saturday today, but this doesn't sound like something that would have popped up overnight. Regardless though...I'd be going out of my way to find a vet willing to see her right away.

In the meantime...DID this happen overnight or rapidly? If so, have you checked to see if she became entangled in anything? Maybe some fishing line or thread wrapped around her legs and cutting off circulation?

[wafisherman]

I have not heard of that issue, but here are some resources I'd recommend, besides the needed trip to a qualified tort vet (get one with ACTUAL tort experience, there are meds that some herps can take that will kill a tort).

http://www.turtletary.com/redfootcare.htm
http://redfoottortoise.com/
and a great forum:
http://tortoiseforum.org/