poison said:
You could feed him on something hard like a rock or cement or you could feed him a carrot or you could use a nail filer
Russian tortoise health
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You could feed him on something hard like a rock or cement or you could feed him a carrot or you could use a nail filer
poison said:
If you have never trimmed claws or beaks before, it's probably best to take your tortoise to the vet (although, sadly, they are also fallible, as some folks here on TFO can attest). Once you've observed the technique, you may want to try it yourself.
Trimming claws is actually quite easy, as it's about the same technique as you would use for a dog. You shine a light behind the claw and observe where the quick (blood supply) ends. Then, you just gently put a sharp claw trimmer on the claw, and quickly but carefully cut the claw. Tortoises are, of course, able to withdraw their limbs, but if you're careful enough you can still trim their claws. If you don't cut too deep, the procedure might startle them, but it shouldn't hurt them, because the quick won't get cut and it shouldn't bleed. It's not unusual for it to bleed a little, but you can stop the bleeding with styptic powder or a clean tissue. If you cut much too deeply, the quick may bleed more profusely, in which case you would need to take steps to stop the flow and prevent infection, perhaps even taking the tortoise to the vet if it's bad enough. I have never seen bad blood-flow, though, only mild and temporary.
Trimming the beak is trickier, because if you do it wrong the beak can break off. Because it's made of keratin, it will grow back. However, a botched beak-trimming job is painful for the tortoise, and makes it harder for him to eat. Trimming is accomplished with a dremel that files down the beak fairly quickly, which is why you have to be careful. Personally, I have never filed down a beak myself, nor have I ever needed a vet to do it, so I can only tell you what I've read. I've heard of people using simple nail files/emery boards to do this. While safer, I suppose that would take much longer. The tricky thing about the head, of course, is that the tortoise is going to want to retract it, so it takes some expert technique to place your fingers behind his head to prevent that. Best to take him to a trusted vet for that, in my opinion, but make sure the vet knows how to do it, because vets can botch procedures, too.
Once the claws and beak are trim, it's easy to keep them the right length. Just allow the tortoise to walk around and dig, especially on hard, rough surfaces from time to time (like when feeding). Not all the time, though, because then the shell might get scratched. Similarly, for the beak, let the tortoise gnaw on cuttlebone (calcium block), as well as tough plants, like the bases of leaves and on carrots. These keep the growing keratin worn down, and in tip-top shape.
poison said:
Also my Russian tortoise's nail were VERY long when I first got him (on April 15) and I've been letting him walk around on the concrete at least 4 times a weak and his nails are MUCH shorter
TortoiseBoy1999 said:poison said:
Also my Russian tortoise's nail were VERY long when I first got him (on April 15) and I've been letting him walk around on the concrete at least 4 times a weak and his nails are MUCH shorter
So they're getting worn down on their own, without the need to clip them?
GeoTerraTestudo said:
Yep
Neato! Are they normal length yet?
GeoTerraTestudo said:
Pretty much
a little long but they should be good in a month his nail's were like knives when I first got him! I could barely hold him they were so piercing lol
Very impressive. I always thought claws could be kept short by abrasion, but not trimmed simply by abrasion. Nice to know it's possible to do the whole thing without clippers.
GeoTerraTestudo said:Very impressive. I always thought claws could be kept short by abrasion, but not trimmed simply by abrasion. Nice to know it's possible to do the whole thing without clippers.
Yep his claws are definitely shorter and I've been watching the quick and it's getting shorter
and this was all done in a way SAFE AND NOT HURTFUL to the tortoise (but it does take patience )
Well, again, kudos to you for checking to see if that works. I'm really glad it does. And thanks for the tip!
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