Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We thought we lost our 3 year old painted turtle. He had hibernated at the bottom of his pond the past 2 years. This year, when the pond warmed up, he was nowhere to be seen. We assumed he got out and pretty much gave up. Today, the first warm day here in the Northeast this spring, he reappeared!! He must have gotten out of the pond and dug in the nearby dirt for the winter. We found him about 10 feet from the pond. Not wanting to drop him into the still cool pondwater, we put him in a small tank with warmed pond water. He's awaken, but it appears that both his front legs are missing their claws. More specifically, there are 2 small stubs where the front claws used to be. We're thinking that he may have suffered frostbite. There's no open wound. Does anyone have experience dealing with something like this? We're concerned about his ability to swim and climb on his log to bask. Eating isn't a problem, as he doesn't use his front legs to eat and has eaten a little already.

>>He's awaken, but it appears that both his front legs are missing their claws. More specifically, there are 2 small stubs where the front claws used to be. We're thinking that he may have suffered frostbite. There's no open wound. Does anyone have experience dealing with something like this? We're concerned about his ability to swim and climb on his log to bask. Eating isn't a problem, as he doesn't use his front legs to eat and has eaten a little already.

Actually sounds like they were chewed off. Raccoons are fond of that, though I would not put it past a conniving shrew or mouse to do something similar in search of a winter meal.
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PHWyvern

Thanks for the reply. Anyone know care/likelihood of survival?

>>Thanks for the reply. Anyone know care/likelihood of survival?

Unless the injury is infected or something it is not going to cause the animal to die or anything. It'll just be handicapped for the rest of its life.
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PHWyvern