Overgrown lower Jaw

Harry · Dec 5, 2019

Hi guys.

This is a problem she has always had, however now its gotten to the point where im worried she will start to have a hard time picking her food up to eat it, as you can see from the pics her lower jaw is quite overgrown, she has a cuttlefish bone that she does take little bones from here and there, i was tolled that would help however it hasn't.

Any advice on how i can reduce it?

Thanks in advance.

Toddrickfl1 · Dec 5, 2019

This poor tortoise needs to be taken to the vet to have it's beak trimmed.

Yvonne G · Dec 5, 2019

I'm assuming this is a Russian tortoise? It's quite unusual to see Russian tortoise beaks growing like this. It's caused by not enough calcium/UVB during the growing years. So I guess you got your Russian tortoise when it was still young and growing. I hatched out 49 intergrade Manouria tortoises many, many years ago. I sold most but kept back 5 or 6 of them. All of mine ended up with beaks like your tortoise's. In contacting some of the people who bought the others none of them had beaks like mine. So I knew from that, that it was NOT genetic, but something in my care of the animal. The only thing I came up with was calcium and UVB.

It's going to be very difficult to get that beak back where it belongs. It will take way more than one trimming, and it would be best done by someone experienced in beak trimming.

Harry · Dec 5, 2019

Yvonne G said:
I'm assuming this is a Russian tortoise? It's quite unusual to see Russian tortoise beaks growing like this. It's caused by not enough calcium/UVB during the growing years. So I guess you got your Russian tortoise when it was still young and growing. I hatched out 49 intergrade Manouria tortoises many, many years ago. I sold most but kept back 5 or 6 of them. All of mine ended up with beaks like your tortoise's. In contacting some of the people who bought the others none of them had beaks like mine. So I knew from that, that it was NOT genetic, but something in my care of the animal. The only thing I came up with was calcium and UVB.

It's going to be very difficult to get that beak back where it belongs. It will take way more than one trimming, and it would be best done by someone experienced in beak trimming.

Hello,

Thank you for the good info

yeah she is a russian

How exactly did you sort out your torts?

Maro2Bear · Dec 5, 2019

Yep, that lower beak will require a few short trims by probably a vet, unless you are comfortable doing something like that urself.

Good luck and hopefully Yvonne’s nutritional guidelines will help.

Harry · Dec 5, 2019

Maro2Bear said:
Yep, that lower beak will require a few short trims by probably a vet, unless you are comfortable doing something like that urself.

Good luck and hopefully Yvonne’s nutritional guidelines will help.

Hey,

I have seen a few people do it a little each day over the course of a few weeks with a file, do you think this is a viable option here?

Thanks

Cathie G · Dec 5, 2019

Harry said:
Hey,

I have seen a few people do it a little each day over the course of a few weeks with a file, do you think this is a viable option here?

Thanks

Hello and good luck with your beak trim whatever you decide. Personally, I wouldn't try it by myself. You have to use one hand to hold the animal plus their little neck and jaw. The other hand will be filing a stressed little tortoise beak. Maybe a vet first and usually the vet will instruct you on how and what to do yourself.

MichiganMan · Dec 5, 2019

I saw a few videos of people using a Dremel to file them down.

Maro2Bear · Dec 6, 2019

Personally I think the noise from a dremel, coupled with the “grinding” down of the beak little by little, will drive your tort “crazy”. Even filing is going to be hard on your tort. Id look for large sharp clippers that can cleanly & quickly snip bits off. You want the process to be quick, clean & neat. Not drawn out grinding away. You just don’t want to take large chunks off.

I vote for a professional to get the process started & maybe you can watch & learn to do the remaining sessions.

Good luck!

RosemaryDW · Dec 7, 2019

Agreed with Maro2bear

Overgrown lower Jaw

Harry

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Toddrickfl1

Well-Known Member

Yvonne G

Old Timer

Harry

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Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member

Harry

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Cathie G

Well-Known Member

MichiganMan

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Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member

RosemaryDW

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