Can anyone help ? (beak problem)

[jess2353]

Hi

I'm new to the forum and recently purchased a tortoise off my friend and recently noticed that his beak either side is coming away from his face and I can't figure out what's causing it ?

it's literally coming away from his face in both sides and jutting out the front of his beak looks normal it's just the sides :/

Can anyone help shred some light on why this might be happening ?

 

[diamondbp]

It probably was raised on a high protein diet, and or on entirely soft foods. In the wild their beaks are naturally trimmed by eating tougher weeds, very little protein, and natural ware from rocks they might chew on for minerals.
Depending on the severity of it it may need to be trimmed by a vet. If it's not to to bad then placing the foods on a piece of slate helps to trim down the beak eventually . Cuttlebones are good for trimming because they will chew on them for calcium .I also find that plenty of natural sunshine helps future growth to come in very even.

Provide a picture and a history of its diet/enclosure, and we can tell you what to do from there.

 

[Yvonne G]

We'll have to see a picture before we can offer any advice. My GUESS would be that the beak is too long and the pressure is causing it to pull away.

 

[jess2353]

here is a picture of him got him booked in at the vets now for Friday to be looked over as he doesn't seem overly healthy to me :/

He has a heat lamp and he has a uv light both recently been replaced.

He is fed on a mixed diet of weeds & hard feed also has a cuttle fish in his enclosure.

Here is some pictures there quite hard to make out though.
Any advice be much appreciated.

 

[jess2353]

 

[hassansyed]

Hi what happened with your beak issue?

 

[wiery]

It looks like he should have been eating food that was too soft or didn't have a cuttlefish bone for him to gnaw on, causing his beak to be too long and thus cracking, just like a human nail can crack if it's too long.
It could also be a wound in the beak that is causing an infection to come off, you should seek veterinary advice as soon as possible and use medication to prevent further infection, I hope he feels better soon.