Terrible beak on my rescues, tips for trimming, parrot beak?

[Kandd]

Any tips on what to do with this beak? This is a rescue I have had for a few months. Each month I slowly dremmel the top beak back not wanting to cause too much distress. But I’m not sure if I should attempt to do the bottom beak at the sides. I dont want to break/dislocate her jaw. So far I have left it. She has a good appetite, but is unable to bite through food and prefers to rip food with her front legs. She struggles much more then my other tortoises who have no beak issues. Any advise welcomed

 

[Yvonne G]

Clip the top sides off with a nail clipper. Then Dremel the bottom sides a bit. The front of the bottom is going out like a duck bill and you'll have to Dremel that over and over about every two weeks until you have the biting edge pointing up instead of out.

 

[Jan A]

Any tips on what to do with this beak? This is a rescue I have had for a few months. Each month I slowly dremmel the top beak back not wanting to cause too much distress. But I’m not sure if I should attempt to do the bottom beak at the sides. I dont want to break/dislocate her jaw. So far I have left it. She has a good appetite, but is unable to bite through food and prefers to rip food with her front legs. She struggles much more then my other tortoises who have no beak issues. Any advise welcomed

View attachment 319986 View attachment 319987

Beak or no beak, simply adorable!

 

[Kandd]

Clip the top sides off with a nail clipper. Then Dremel the bottom sides a bit. The front of the bottom is going out like a duck bill and you'll have to Dremel that over and over about every two weeks until you have the biting edge pointing up instead of out.

Thank you for your reply. Is this what I’m aiming for? (Red lines on photo)

 

[Kandd]

Beak or no beak, simply adorable!

Thank you, it’s taken me 6 months to get her eating weeds! I can’t wait until the weather warms up as she has never been outside, poor thing.

 

[Kandd]

Ok I have nail clipped some off and dremmelled slightly, she was eating straight after. Still a long way to go on the sides. The beak was so thick, the nail clippers don’t open wide enough so will try and get some more. Hopefully with living outside and on a correct diet with access to lump chalk and cuttle bone it will get better over time along with the dremmeling

 

[Yossarian]

Still need to trim the top a little, take the corners off the sides and give him a bit of a point to his beak. You want to avoid any part of the top contacting directly with the bottom, both can split and break if they push against each other too much.

 

[Kandd]

Still need to trim the top a little, take the corners off the sides and give him a bit of a point to his beak. You want to avoid any part of the top contacting directly with the bottom, both can split and break if they push against each other too much.

Thank you, yeah I intended to take more off she just seemed pretty unhappy and had had enough so will try again sometime next week this is the area I’m planning on taking back further

 

[Kandd]

Still need to trim the top a little, take the corners off the sides and give him a bit of a point to his beak. You want to avoid any part of the top contacting directly with the bottom, both can split and break if they push against each other too much.

The problem is a don’t think her beak will ever not be in contact with the top beak. If you look at her front on (this is after the dremelling today) her bottom jaw is so wide, it’s like a shovel

 

[ZenHerper]

I think the top is pinching in because of the pressure from beneath...and it should start to be able to grow straight down once the bottom and side surfaces are scaled back to their original orientation.

 

[TeamZissou]

The step by step photos are neat. Thanks for updating this thread as you go.

 

[Kandd]

I think the top is pinching in because of the pressure from beneath...and it should start to be able to grow straight down once the bottom and side surfaces are scaled back to their original orientation.

Yeah it could be. I will persevere with it. The beak is so thick. Poor thing, I just want her to be able to eat properly and live a more natural life. Prior to coming to us she was used to breed for a small pet shop along 5 other tortoises in a tiny table top enclosure on wooden pellet type substrate, not allowed to hibernate and having never been outside. I have another female from the same place who has dreadful pyramiding. Feel so bad for them both

 

[Kandd]

The step by step photos are neat. Thanks for updating this thread as you go.

No worries, I constantly search for things and read lots of old threads. Maybe this process might help another owner with similar issues in the future ?

 

[ZenHerper]

Yeah it could be. I will persevere with it. The beak is so thick. Poor thing, I just want her to be able to eat properly and live a more natural life. Prior to coming to us she was used to breed for a small pet shop along 5 other tortoises in a tiny table top enclosure on wooden pellet type substrate, not allowed to hibernate and having never been outside. I have another female from the same place who has dreadful pyramiding. Feel so bad for them both

You're doing a great job! It has to be done over time so you don't snap big pieces off or cause injuries to the soft tissues of the face.

Will she hand-feed? Nipping leaves and flowers into bite sizes while you're still in the sanding phase will help. They will get quite dexterous with their feet, but hand feeling helps them associate good things with you as well as therapeutic procedures. lol

 

[Kandd]

You're doing a great job! It has to be done over time so you don't snap big pieces off or cause injuries to the soft tissues of the face.

Will she hand-feed? Nipping leaves and flowers into bite sizes while you're still in the sanding phase will help. They will get quite dexterous with their feet, but hand feeling helps them associate good things with you as well as therapeutic procedures. lol

Yeah she will feed from my hand, the last 6 months I’ve been tricking her with shop bought lettuce (which previous owner fed her) along with ‘hidden’ fresh weeds (dandelion, mallow, bitter cress and anything else I can find this time of year in the UK) but she isn’t my biggest fan and usually runs when I approach. It’s a long process lol. Her front legs are incredibly strong, she drew blood from my finger from her scales whilst doing this. So she doesn’t have a problem with strength!! ?

 

[Krista S]

The problem is a don’t think her beak will ever not be in contact with the top beak. If you look at her front on (this is after the dremelling today) her bottom jaw is so wide, it’s like a shovel View attachment 320029

She is SO cute! What is her name? Lots of personality showing through in this picture. You’re doing a great job with her beak. I wouldn’t be brave enough, but it’s really neat seeing the transformation and how you’re working away at it.

 

[Kandd]

She is SO cute! What is her name? Lots of personality showing through in this picture. You’re doing a great job with her beak. I wouldn’t be brave enough, but it’s really neat seeing the transformation and how you’re working away at it.

Thank you, her name is ‘Queenie’ my 3 year old named her ? but it’s grown on me! She is very slowly coming out of her shell (excuse the pun!) I just can’t wait to get her outside and enjoying some time outdoors and natural sunlight (I have a greenhouse with heat and additional UVB on miserable days) we have been busy planting the enclosure with hibiscus, lavateria, mallow, loads of safe weeds and flowers. I think she is going to be in for a bit of a shock when the weather warms up! Compared to the last 14 years of her life, I just want to be confident she is able to feed herself properly, I’ll feel relieved when this beak is sorted! ? ?

 

[Russiantortylady]

GOod Luck with the trimming , question for you how did you hold her head? WHen I trimmed mine I had to hold him on his back that is the only way to keep his head out........

 

[Kandd]

GOod Luck with the trimming , question for you how did you hold her head? WHen I trimmed mine I had to hold him on his back that is the only way to keep his head out........

I followed this video exactly, it worked well. But I needed gloves as her arms where strong as was the pulling in motion. I have really thin leather gloves they worked a treat!

 

[Professor Brenda]

No worries, I constantly search for things and read lots of old threads. Maybe this process might help another owner with similar issues in the future ?

Yes, thank you. I am learning from it in case I need to do this. I work with a rescue.