Request: Beak Trimming Tutorial/Video

[wosman]

Hi everyone

So I have read that people who wish to trim their tortoises beak should have a vet do it. Unfortunately, there was one vet in my area that was a herpetologist (and in my opinion, not a very good one). He moved to the US leaving me without a vet unless I can find a way to another city, which is tricky since I don't know if I'm ok spending the entire day on a greyhound bus and walking around the city in the frigid cold with a tortoise.

If anyone who knows how to do this could post a detailed video I would be so very grateful, the beak on my guy is getting awful and he is not interested in cuttle bone. I have an emery board, but I don't even know where to start. He hides his head away in his shell when he sees his own shadow and he fights like hell if i ever try to hold his arm or head.

Any help is much appreciated

edit: what would happen if i wrapped lettuce around the emery board thus tricking him into filing his beak?

 

[Yvonne G]

This is the style toe nail clipper I use:

http://www.beautysupplyonsale.com/products/Toe-Nail-Clipper-%2d-Silver-%2d-Curve-Cut.html

You see how the cutting part is a gentle curve with a point at either end of the curve? Well, I don't use the curve part, I use one of the points, so that when I've made a cut it looks like a little notch or tiny triangle.

You have to grab the tortoise's head behind the jaws and hold tight. This keeps him from being able to retract into the shell. Then, taking the point like I said above, I start at one edge (towards the ear) and go around the beak clip, clip, clipping until I've gone all the way around. You never should try to take off too much in one bite because you run the risk of splitting the beak. Just take off a tiny bit with each clip. After you've gone all the way around, if it doesn't seem you took enough off, do it again. When you're all finished, you can take a file and smooth the edge, but I never do. It smooths itself after the tortoise has used it for a bit.

 

[Kerryann]

I file with an emery board to try to fix my Russian's beak deformity. I do a little bit every few days. I wait for her to stick her head out and then my husband puts two fingers behind her head so she can't withdraw back into her shell. You have to maintain a tight grip without being too tight which is a delicate balance.
My vet didn't recommend trimming her beak because she was able to eat well. He said if we just file it every few days within a few months we'd have her in better shape. It took about a month and it worked. Now I do it every few weeks to keep her beak from growing out funky.

 

[wosman]

Thanks for the input. I'm a bit apprehensive about holding his head for the reason of finding the too loose/too tight grip.

One idea I had his I could wrap my fingers with sandpaper. If I feed him by hand (I do this rarely) I let him eat all the way to my fingers but I hold the food in a way that when he goes for his last bite his beak just slides over my finger nails. If I did the same thing, but instead had my fingers wrapped in sandpaper would it be reasonable to assume that he might start sanding down his beak?

 

[Yvonne G]

The only problem with that, Wess, is that you would end up filing down the front but not the sides. And your tortoise also needs the sides.

 

[lynnedit]

Send a pm to biochemnerd808
She has a tortoise blog and also a video on trimming beaks.

 

[biochemnerd808]

You happen to be in luck (sorta) I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago with a picture tutorial on how to trim your tort's beak.

http://tortaddiction.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-to-trim-tortoises-beak-with-pictures.html

(Thanks, Lynnedit!).

In the tutorial I show how to hold your tortoise's head, but I actually do it without holding on, since mine never pull all the way in.

Send a pm to biochemnerd808
She has a tortoise blog and also a video on trimming beaks.

 

[Kerryann]

You happen to be in luck (sorta) I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago with a picture tutorial on how to trim your tort's beak.

http://tortaddiction.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-to-trim-tortoises-beak-with-pictures.html

(Thanks, Lynnedit!).

In the tutorial I show how to hold your tortoise's head, but I actually do it without holding on, since mine never pull all the way in.

Send a pm to biochemnerd808
She has a tortoise blog and also a video on trimming beaks.

That is an awesome blog and very helpful.

 

[biochemnerd808]

Thank you! My tortoise blog is a good outlet for my obsession with torts... this way I don't bug my friends and family by talking their ears off about my torts. Plus, maybe it will help some other tortoise keepers along the way.

You happen to be in luck (sorta) I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago with a picture tutorial on how to trim your tort's beak.

http://tortaddiction.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-to-trim-tortoises-beak-with-pictures.html

(Thanks, Lynnedit!).

In the tutorial I show how to hold your tortoise's head, but I actually do it without holding on, since mine never pull all the way in.

Send a pm to biochemnerd808
She has a tortoise blog and also a video on trimming beaks.

That is an awesome blog and very helpful.

 

[wosman]

Sorry for the late response, but that tutortial was incredibly helpful. Every little detail was there. I have ordered some cuticle trimmers. As of yet my tortoises beak is not that over grown, but I figure I should deal with it now before it gets to be too long.

As I wait for the cuticle trimmers I'll be practicing getting a hold of his head. So far it's been a disaster. If he even hears me breathe he'll retract his head.

Thanks again, I really appreciate it!

You happen to be in luck (sorta) I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago with a picture tutorial on how to trim your tort's beak.

http://tortaddiction.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-to-trim-tortoises-beak-with-pictures.html

(Thanks, Lynnedit!).

In the tutorial I show how to hold your tortoise's head, but I actually do it without holding on, since mine never pull all the way in.

Send a pm to biochemnerd808
She has a tortoise blog and also a video on trimming beaks.

 

[biochemnerd808]

I'm so happy to hear that you found the blog post so helpful.

If your tort's beak isn't terribly overgrown, you may try just filing it - here is a link to a video showing how: http://tortaddiction.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-to-gently-file-tortoises-beak-video.html

There probably is no need to 'practice' holding your tortoise's head, because that will cause him to get head shy. You want him to feel safe around you. The little video I posted the link to above doesn't require you to hold his head. Give it a try.

Good luck!

Sorry for the late response, but that tutortial was incredibly helpful. Every little detail was there. I have ordered some cuticle trimmers. As of yet my tortoises beak is not that over grown, but I figure I should deal with it now before it gets to be too long.

As I wait for the cuticle trimmers I'll be practicing getting a hold of his head. So far it's been a disaster. If he even hears me breathe he'll retract his head.

Thanks again, I really appreciate it!

You happen to be in luck (sorta) I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago with a picture tutorial on how to trim your tort's beak.

http://tortaddiction.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-to-trim-tortoises-beak-with-pictures.html

(Thanks, Lynnedit!).

In the tutorial I show how to hold your tortoise's head, but I actually do it without holding on, since mine never pull all the way in.

Send a pm to biochemnerd808
She has a tortoise blog and also a video on trimming beaks.

 

[wosman]

Oh god this is just as good too. I've saved the video and blog in my favourites. I could not for the life of me get a hold of his head so I'll try the file right now

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! (saves me a fortune on vet cost)

I'm so happy to hear that you found the blog post so helpful.

If your tort's beak isn't terribly overgrown, you may try just filing it - here is a link to a video showing how: http://tortaddiction.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-to-gently-file-tortoises-beak-video.html

There probably is no need to 'practice' holding your tortoise's head, because that will cause him to get head shy. You want him to feel safe around you. The little video I posted the link to above doesn't require you to hold his head. Give it a try.

Good luck!

Sorry for the late response, but that tutortial was incredibly helpful. Every little detail was there. I have ordered some cuticle trimmers. As of yet my tortoises beak is not that over grown, but I figure I should deal with it now before it gets to be too long.

As I wait for the cuticle trimmers I'll be practicing getting a hold of his head. So far it's been a disaster. If he even hears me breathe he'll retract his head.

Thanks again, I really appreciate it!

You happen to be in luck (sorta) I wrote a blog post a few weeks ago with a picture tutorial on how to trim your tort's beak.

http://tortaddiction.blogspot.com/2012/12/how-to-trim-tortoises-beak-with-pictures.html

(Thanks, Lynnedit!).

In the tutorial I show how to hold your tortoise's head, but I actually do it without holding on, since mine never pull all the way in.

Send a pm to biochemnerd808
She has a tortoise blog and also a video on trimming beaks.