Beak advice. Trim or leave it?

[SatchelMonster]

Satchel just had his sweet sixteen birthday. The last weigh in was 120 lbs three years ago. He’s a big boi!

His beak has a split up the middle that seems to be getting wider. Sometimes he gets food stuck in it and I can help him clean it out. Most of the time he seems able to clear the debris himself. His diet is native grasses and shrubs in our backyard. Occasionally some veg scraps from the kitchen but thats les than 5% of his diet.

I sent a photo to our vet and she said “I am concerned that we may need to do a beak trim to help manage the split as it grows out. This will likely need to be done with sedation as a tortoise that big.”

Curious if anyone has gone through this and if it’s worth it in the long run?

 

[mark1]

imo, it'd be worth having a vet take a look at it .....doesn't appear to me to need a beak trim, but it might be a little more complicated than letting it grow back..... the damage appears pretty far up , the growth plate might be involved....... mechanical damage or an active/inactive infection could be the cause....... the fact you say it's getting wider would concern me as to an active infection .......

 

[SatchelMonster]

imo, it'd be worth having a vet take a look at it .....doesn't appear to me to need a beak trim, but it might be a little more complicated than letting it grow back..... the damage appears pretty far up , the growth plate might be involved....... mechanical damage or an active/inactive infection could be the cause....... the fact you say it's getting wider would concern me as to an active infection .......

Yeah an infection has crossed my mind. Especially since food can get stuck in it.

 

[Tom]

I agree with Mark.