Hello! My family has 1 CA Desert Tortoise. She lives at my father's house since that is the yard she knows and is comfortable in (I tried to move her to my house but she would not stop pacing and digging). I haven't seen her for a few years and my father mentioned that she has grown a sort of hook/beak from her top lip. Apparently it has grown so much that she no longer will eat lettuce or flowers but she still grazes on the grass. I haven't seen it yet but I'm guessing it is impeding her ability to open her mouth wide enough to take a bite.
She's never had this problem before and we've had her for 37 yrs. What causes this? Can it be trimmed or filed off? Is this a vet only procedure? What can we do to prevent this in the future?
She's never had this problem before and we've had her for 37 yrs. What causes this? Can it be trimmed or filed off? Is this a vet only procedure? What can we do to prevent this in the future?