Residents | Sanctuary
Kids > Eaton
|
|
Eaton eating
|
|
|
Eaton’s shell
|
|
|
Eaton’s injured leg
|
Eaton: The Marvel of Modern Evolution
Eaton is a 12-year-old, 45 pounds, African Sulcata Tortoise who happens
to be three-legged. Or rather he has only three feet. Tragically
one of his hind legs became lifeless and the foot died after having
the circulation cut off to it in a horrible spring snowstorm in
Colorado.
His family and the local veterinarian’s office were in
a quandary about what to do with the now dragging leg. For one,
tortoises do not handle anesthesia well; and second, amputating the leg of a large reptile was not a specialty of any of the vets nearby. Nobody was exactly sure what to do when Eaton
took the situation into his own hands, or feet. He simply shed
the foot. He no longer needed it and so it just fell off. Basically
unheard of.
His family and the vets were stunned to say the least but boy
did it make things easier. The area where the foot disconnected
from his leg was not open, bleeding, or oozing in any way. It
looked clean, dry, and completely healed over instantaneously.
A friend made the comment that no wonder they’re still
here and the dinosaurs are gone, they’ve figured out something
pretty amazing.
Eaton is still mobile but can get tired easily. He had special
needs now that his family just couldn’t keep up with, such
as figuring out suitable wheels that would work in their climate
and terrain. Also, winters in Colorado can be quite miserable
and long and Sulcatas do not hibernate.
His family did not feel they could adequately take care of his
needs and called the Best Friends Animal Society’s Help
Department. They called Healing HEART Sanctuary knowing that
we already had two African Sulcatas and knew how to care for
them plus we obviously work with animals with disabilities.
And if it turns out that wheels work for him, he may be off to the races after all.
|