Urgent Care :: 18 Year Old RES - Problem Moving Rear Legs

[SusanE]

I have a female RES that I purchased 18 years ago when she was very small. I've never had any serious medical issues with her. Over the past 3-4 days, she's lost her appetite and isn't as active as she usually is. I also noticed she isn't moving her back legs very much. She'll stand on them in the water. She doesn't use them to propel herself around the tank. Her legs look fine and aren't swollen. There's no signs of injury.

She's in a tank on her own. The water temp was a little too warm, maybe 83-85, so I bumped this down a few degrees to 78. I did a half-tank water change tonight which perked her up.

Can anyone offer some information on what may be causing the problem with her rear legs? I also need some advise on bringing her appetite back.

Thanks!

[steve]

Is she able to swim normally when she wants to? Or walk around? I'm not sure what could be wrong but I would have a vet check her out.

[SusanE]

She hasn't always used her rear legs to swim around the tank. This is why I'm not sure there's a problem with her rear legs. It's possible she's slowed down a little because she's not feeling so great. (She hasn't had much of an appetite for the past few days.)

She can get around the tank fine. She seems much more alert since last night. The water temp is at 78.

I'll check on her several times throughout the day to monitor her and see if I can get her to eat. I'll also place her on her basking area for a little while if she doesn't get up there herself.

I'm in a small town in South Dakota, so we don't have any reptile vets near me. The closest is probably 1.75 hours away which isn't too far.

[steve]

Unless there is some sort of defect or injury, it's not normal for her rear legs to be impaired. I suppose an overweight turtle might have a problem, but I don't recall any instances where this is a specific symptom.

Has she shown interest in her treats?