Tortoise's chin is tilted

willsh

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Hello,

I got my tortoise from my friend who clearly wasn't taking enough care for her tortoise. That's only reason why I accepted her offer to give that tortoise to me for free. I was feeling bad for that tortoise.
Now I have noticed that her (tortoise) chin is tilted and it really makes her eating harder. I assume it's caused beacuse the beak is grown too long. Is there any way to fix this? I'm planning to go to the vet I just wanna know is there anything to do anymore or is lifetime problem?

Thank you for all answers.
 

MPRC

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Are you able to share photos of the tort? I'm not sure we can be much help without.

Also, welcome!
 

Yvonne G

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Yes, we would like to see what you're talking about, but to answer your question, yes a beak can be trimmed. If it is super overgrown, it may take three or four trimmings to get it right.
 

willsh

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I'm sorry i couldn't get any better photos. This looks very bad and I am worried how much it makes her life harder and how it affects her life.
As you can see her beak is grown too long
 

JoesMum

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What’s happened is that the top beak is badly overgrown and needs trimming back a tiny bit at a time with nail clippers.

@Yvonne G can offer more advice on beak trimming
 

Yvonne G

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Yes, you can have a vet do it, but be sure the vet knows about tortoises.
 

willsh

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So is the beak something like finger nails and need cutting overtime?
 

Big Charlie

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So is the beak something like finger nails and need cutting overtime?
You might have to trim it throughout her life. Usually if they have a rough surface to eat off of, the beak gets naturally worn down.

I noticed one of your pictures is red. Are you using a red light? This isn't recommended.
 

JoesMum

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So is the beak something like finger nails and need cutting overtime?

With the proper diet - fed on weedy and leafy greens that your tortoise can tear at - and with the food being placed on a rough surface that will abrade the beak while your tortoise feeds, you shouldn’t have to trim the beak at all once it is sorted out. However, one or two tortoises do get persistent problems.

Providing a cuttlebone to chew on in the enclosure can help too ... although some tortoises completely ignore it.

Can we see photos of the enclosure and lighting? That will help us to recommend changes that will help your tortoise. We love tortoise pictures anyway :)
 

willsh

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I just got her and her enclosure is very boring and small. Im building her new table like thistortoise.jpg
 

willsh

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And yeah she has some red light. I have read that they need uv light and heat light so when I finish that enclosure Im gonna place those two
 

JoesMum

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Before you build anything “interesting”, please read these care sheets which tell you what your tortoise actually needs to be happy and healthy.

They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Russian Tortoise Care (applies to all Testudo)
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

That photo doesn’t show a good enclosure. It’s too small and too dry. The ramp is a tipping hazard, the bowl is both a tipping hazard and hard for a tortoise to use. Take a look at our enclosures forum for ideas.
 

JoesMum

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And I just posted this lighting summary for someone else
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/uv-lights.162043/#post-1543658

If you read this post it explains everything.

Red light colours tank decor and substrate red. Tortoises aren’t very bright and associate red food with being tasty... they end up eating things they shouldn’t. We have seen torts on TFO with nasty gut problems from eating substrate in such circumstances.

At night, they need complete darkness so a red bulb has no place for that use either.
 

Shannon Akre

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You might have to trim it throughout her life. Usually if they have a rough surface to eat off of, the beak gets naturally worn down.

I noticed one of your pictures is red. Are you using a red light? This isn't recommended.

Ok so then I was misinformed. I use a white ligt for day and red light at night. What lighting sources does a Russian tortoise need then??
 

Big Charlie

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Ok so then I was misinformed. I use a white ligt for day and red light at night. What lighting sources does a Russian tortoise need then??
Read @JoesMum posts in this thread. The links explain everything. The white light you are using may be fine, as long as it isn't a coil type bulb, which is bad for their eyes. At night, you might not need anything if your house is kept warm enough. If you need extra heat, a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) works well.
 

JoesMum

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A Russian needs a basking lamp (95-100F directly underneath) and a UVB tube by day

At night it needs complete darkness. Babies need a steady 80F minimum day and night so a Ceramic Heat Emitter and thermostat is needed to provide this. Older Russians prefer it cooler at night and most homes are plenty warm enough for no supplementary heat to be necessary as long as it doesn't drop below 60-65F
 
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