Trending
Vets Build Wheelchair for Turtle Who Lost His Legs
This warmed my heart!
Kirsten Spruch
07.16.19

It is always tough to see an innocent animal struggling. Luckily though, we can do our best to find ways to help them.

This one turtle in particular, named Pedro, lost his two back legs. When he did, everyone thought he would not be able to walk ever again.

However, a couple of vets got creative and changed this, all with the help of a Lego car set.

For some more context, Pedro was already adopted with one missing leg. But one day he managed to escape from his home and upon his return, he was missing the second back leg.

Pedro’s owners took him to Louisiana State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital for help. Fortunately, he wasn’t diagnosed with any life-threatening diseases — he just turned out to be super clumsy.

LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital
Source:
LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital

The communications manager for LSU’s School of Veterinary Medicine, Ginger Guttner, told CNN: “There was nothing medically wrong with him… But of course he didn’t have any back legs, so our doctors quickly had to figure out what they were going to do.”

It took some serious deliberation, but they eventually came up with a solution that seemed quite untraditional and… out of the box.

The solution was a Lego cart kit.

One of their zoological interns went to go pick up a kit so that they could pick out all of the useful parts — the wheels — and fix it with syringe parts and animal-safe epoxy.

LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital
Source:
LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital

After moving some parts around and a little experimental dabbling, the solution was complete. The vets fashioned the most perfect wheely device, enabling little Pedro to get around on his own once again.

The wheels can even be snapped off — so that Pedro can maintain his hygiene and have a clean shell — thanks to the Lego part.

“Veterinary medicine often requires this MacGyver-like quality,” Guttner continued. “I would say the majority of special equipment we use has been fashioned or re-fashioned for a specific case.”

Guttner went on to explain that this wasn’t the first time vets were put in a unique situation where they had to get extremely creative to come up with a solution. Apparently, a team at the hospital also put together a mini fountain to keep fish alive while they performed an endoscopy one time.

LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital
Source:
LSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital

“Our patients can be two grams or 2,000 pounds, so we often have to look at things from a completely different perspective,” Guttner added.

Pedro’s owners also shared that in addition to being able to get around again, the little turtle has been moving faster than ever!

We’re so glad Pedro was given a second chance, thanks to the vets’ dazzling creativity. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to think like a kid!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Article Sources:
To learn more read our Editorial Standards.
Advertisement