HCA: Hermit Crab Association

Ok, on Friday I rescued two tiny (no bigger than your pinky nail) purple pinchers from my local mom and pop place because their shield legs had been baddly clipped. One of them is so bad I thought she dropped the leg instead, but its only clipped up past the first knuckle. Well today my girlfriend noticed that one of them is walking funny, usually with its leg upward away from the rest of the body, and when picked up the leg doesn't fold into the shell properly. She holds it out at an angle like a kick stand on the top of her shell. Is this a presign of dropping a limb, or is her leg legitimately broken? I have her in with some honey, which she was gobbling up greedily, and now she's making her way to the salt water in her tank. Opinions? Also, if her leg is broken, is there anything I should be feeding her to help?

provide lots of calcium and protein. if the leg was a big issue for her she would've already dropped it. I had a crab come from horrible conditions with the two left (shield) legs mangled, when he would walk he would struggle but managed to get around and molted three months after getting to me (dropped the inner leg two weeks prior to the molt).
They know what they need to do, especially to survive with broken limbs I'd let her rest and get plenty of fresh foods. No need to worry, i'm sure she'll molt within a few days.

Sadly, she didn't make it through the night. I found her dead in the salt water shell in iso. Looking back at it, I probably should have used shallower shell since she was having issues walking. I think I may have accidentally drown her. I don't seem to have much luck with rescue hermits. Though the other one I rescued is doing good. buried under the hermit hut.

Sorry rescues will always be risky.

Yeah... I suppose I should go post a memorial for her, I'm just glad the other rescue is recovering quite well. I put her in the main tank with the other four, last I saw her she was gorging herself on the cabbage in there.

I'm sorry for your loss. Having been through a rescue that didn't survive, I know it's tough - you want to help them out, give them a better life - but who knows what they've been through beforehand. Be glad in that you likely gave her a lot of pleasure in her last days - hugs to you.