Moo's Beak

[BoyMom×3]

Hello, we took Moo (eastern hermanns) to give him his cucumber treat today. We noticed a change in his beak. I'll post photos. It's the one circled. The other side doesn't look like that so I'm not sure. There's been no changes to diet or trauma. I did clean out his substrate. He's almost 2, temp is kept around 90 and humidity between 70 and 80. I have seen an increased interest in his cuddle bone. I already have an appointment scheduled for Tuesday.

 

[zovick]

Hello, we took Moo (eastern hermanns) to give him his cucumber treat today. We noticed a change in his beak. I'll post photos. It's the one circled. The other side doesn't look like that so I'm not sure. There's been no changes to diet or trauma. I did clean out his substrate. He's almost 2, temp is kept around 90 and humidity between 70 and 80. I have seen an increased interest in his cuddle bone. I already have an appointment scheduled for Tuesday.

Your tortoise's beak is overgrown and could stand to be trimmed by a vet. Both of the sides have grown more than the front and need to be shortened. The left side appears to have had a crack form and a piece of the excess beak may have broken off.

In short, both sides of the beak are much too long.

 

[BoyMom×3]

Your tortoise's beak is overgrown and could stand to be trimmed by a vet. Both of the sides have grown more than the front and need to be shortened. The left side appears to have had a crack form and a piece of the excess beak may have broken off.

In short, both sides of the beak are much too long.

Ok, I have a cuttle bone in there. Is there anything else I can do?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Ok, I have a cuttle bone in there. Is there anything else I can do?

Do you feed him on slate? That can help it naturally wear down moving forward after their trim🙂

 

[Maggie3fan]

I have kept Sulcata tortoises for 19 years...this is Mary Knobbins...her beak is over grown as well. I bought a fingernail Dremmel tool to trim it...but she is so strong I can't work on it. Sulcata are very strong and need a light anesthesia
you 'might' be able to trim your tort's beak easier then Mary....but here it cost $300 to trim it at the Vet's. Here are 2 photos taken a year apart by 2 different Vet's. Today her beak is sticking so far out she could have trouble eating...when she goes to bite some grass, her lower beak pushes the grass over, before she can bite it. You NEED to take your tort to a Vet for a beak trim, or your tort will look like mine ... and that ain't good. Also every tort keeper here on TFO will tell you to feed your tort on slate (sorry Zovick)...but in my 19 years of keeping tortoises I have never found the slate trick to work. Take that tort to a Vet now, or you will set his beak too long for the rest of his life
this second photo shows how long her beak is AFTER a trim. She is sleeping off the drugs here. The second photo was taken 2 years ago....her beak is sticking waaaaaaaaay out now as the exotic Vet's have all left Corvallis. Take care of your tortoise' beak now or you will be setting her up with an overgrown beak forever

 

[BoyMom×3]

Do you feed him on slate? That can help it naturally wear down moving forward after their trim🙂

Yes to the slate plate. It's big enough that it fits his whole body. We grow all his food minus the dandelions and timothy hay. He get half of a baby cucumber a day. I know we learned as we went as he's our first. But it never said to look for this on the care sheet. I have him scheduled for Tuesday to go to the vet.

 

[Maggie3fan]

I have kept Sulcata tortoises for 19 years...this is Mary Knobbins...her beak is over grown as well. I bought a fingernail Dremmel tool to trim it...but she is so strong I can't work on it. Sulcata are very strong and need a light anesthesia View attachment 370836View attachment 370837
you 'might' be able to trim your tort's beak easier then Mary....but here it cost $300 to trim it at the Vet's. Here are 2 photos taken a year apart by 2 different Vet's. Today her beak is sticking so far out she could have trouble eating...when she goes to bite some grass, her lower beak pushes the grass over, before she can bite it. You NEED to take your tort to a Vet for a beak trim, or your tort will look like mine ... and that ain't good. Also every tort keeper here on TFO will tell you to feed your tort on slate (sorry Zovick)...but in my 19 years of keeping tortoises I have never found the slate trick to work. Take that tort to a Vet now, or you will set his beak too long for the rest of his lifeView attachment 370837
this second photo shows how long her beak is AFTER a trim. She is sleeping off the drugs here. The second photo was taken 2 years ago....her beak is sticking waaaaaaaaay out now as the exotic Vet's have all left Corvallis. Take care of your tortoise' beak now or you will be setting her up with an overgrown beak forever

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Yeah, slate doesn't do much when the beak is already overgrown, but in some cases it might prevent overgrowth in the future.

I recommend you get the beak trimmed at a vet ASAP and then think about how to prevent overgrowth in the future.

I have found that grazing (outdoors or from potted plants) is better for the beak than eating prepared food. Pulling the weeds/grass from the ground wears the beak down more than just regular feeding.

 

[zovick]

Ok, I have a cuttle bone in there. Is there anything else I can do?

At this point, there is nothing you can do yourself. Cuttlebone and feeding on slate will not correct this as it has progressed too far now, but could help prevent it from recurring in the future once the problem is corrected. It really needs professional attention by a good vet.

 

[BoyMom×3]

At this point, there is nothing you can do yourself. Cuttlebone and feeding on slate will not correct this as it has progressed too far now, but could help prevent it from recurring in the future once the problem is corrected. It really needs professional attention by a good vet.

I made the appointment before I even posted. He goes tomorrow. He has the slate plate and cuttle bone. Has since we got him. While I feed him daily on the plate he never gave much attention to the cuttle bone I'm until recently even though he has access. Thanks for getting back to me.

 

[zovick]

I made the appointment before I even posted. He goes tomorrow. He has the slate plate and cuttle bone. Has since we got him. While I feed him daily on the plate he never gave much attention to the cuttle bone I'm until recently even though he has access. Thanks for getting back to me.

Good luck with the tortoise.