undershot jaw?

[skuttle]

hi guys. i just notice one of my babies have undershot jaws? you think it can be corrected? thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

To help a beak grow strong and healthy the tortoise needs calcium plus the sun (for vitamin d3). As the tortoise gets bigger, if you still notice a slight deformity of the beak, it will help to keep it trimmed to the correct shape. After a few trimmings it most likely will start to grow correctly.

 

[skuttle]

thanks yvonne G ! what do you mean trimmings? how can i do that?

 

[Yvonne G]

It would be best for you to have an experienced person to do the trimming. By trimming I mean actually clipping or cutting a bit off the beak to make it into a more natural shape. Your baby is too young to do it. Let him grow a bit more before you worry about trimming the beak.

 

[alysciaingram]

I saw a vet about the same thing in one of my tortoises. It doesn't effect her eating (in fact she gained 34grams in 4 weeks) and she is active, acts normally. The vet told me it could be a birth defect or an injury from her previous owner. I will have to get her beak trimmed down when she is around 4-5 inches to try and correct the growth. However, I may just have to get her beak trimmed regularly through out her life.
Just keep an eye on it and make sure she's getting food down. One problem I have noticed is while eating Mazuri, she will get large pieces of food stuck to her face, and when she tried to wipe it off with her forearms, she unintentionally blocks her nasal passages with food. I have learned to watch her on Mazuri days and gently wipe away debris from her nose as to not interrupt her breathing. Hope this helps.

 

[skuttle]

Thanks guys. With your experience do undershot like that get worse? What i mean is when he or she grows will he retain that type of undershot he will just get bigger or his undershot will worsen like be become more elongated to the point of looking like a mutated /deformed underjaw. I have googled upperjaw deformities like having upper jaw really deformed and doesnt look nice. Any one have an idea ? Thanks

 

[alysciaingram]

It's not something you can correct, as far as I was told. My tortoises beak has grown since I've brought her home, however like I said I cannot fix it until she's bigger. Luckily I've had no issues with her eating and she's gaining a significant amount every month. Hopefully by fall/early winter we will be able to begin trimming, and see how it goes. I don't think with trimming the jaw will become mutated, just obviously not normal. Hopefully this will be the same for your tortoise. Did you contact the breeder and ask if the tortoise was born this way?

 

[skuttle]

Havent contacted her yet. What you mean is its possible that her underjaw will be deformed more right? I mean like the photo i googled tortoise looks like a parrot.can our tortoise underjaw grow like that? Hope it will just stay the same.

 

[alysciaingram]

I'm not an expert, but my vet is confident that we can contain the issue. My tortoise will never look normal. There's no corrective surgery or procedure that can be done to realign the jaw, only maintain it so the tortoise can live her life normally. If you don't like the image of the tortoise, contact the breeder and ask to exchange it for another.

 

[skuttle]

Honestly as long as he eats right and wouldnt have a proble
Eating its ok. About his aesthetics its ok if when his fully grown he looks like that. What worries me is what if his underjaw disfigures or grow long? Can i ask what do you think it is by picture a deformity of the underjaw where his underjaw just protrudes because of genetics or its an overgrown of the underjaw? If his underjaw would be like that when fully grown its ok but if it will still elongate like the parrot beak i dont like it honesty

---

I'll rephrase it. If its just
Abnormal undershot just like in bullsogs its ok with me but if its overgrowth like parrot beak just different because its on the button jaw i dont like. Have you seen any tortoise overgrowth underjaw like parrot? What do you think guys undershot abnormality or overgrowth?

 

[alysciaingram]

Sorry, I don't really understand what you are asking as far as parrot vs bulldog features. The beak will probably grow, and that's the best answer I can give. A vet visit would probably be best in your case to determine whether or not you want to keep the tortoise with this issue. My personal opinion though is if you can look past the "deformity" and care for the tortoise and keep it healthy, then do so. If it bothers you and you would like a tortoise that you wouldn't have to take to the vet to get maintained, then exchange it.

 

[skuttle]

Honestly my problem is in our country there are not many expert vets when it comes to reptiles. Regarding the beak my problem is if it will grow lookin like pointy beak like parrot unlike the whole underjaw doesnt change its form it just grows. If it just grows like how it looks like now it wouldnt bother me but if it elongates and deforms more i dont like it

 

[Livingstone]

I saw a vet about the same thing in one of my tortoises. It doesn't effect her eating (in fact she gained 34grams in 4 weeks) and she is active, acts normally. The vet told me it could be a birth defect or an injury from her previous owner. I will have to get her beak trimmed down when she is around 4-5 inches to try and correct the growth. However, I may just have to get her beak trimmed regularly through out her life.
Just keep an eye on it and make sure she's getting food down. One problem I have noticed is while eating Mazuri, she will get large pieces of food stuck to her face, and when she tried to wipe it off with her forearms, she unintentionally blocks her nasal passages with food. I have learned to watch her on Mazuri days and gently wipe away debris from her nose as to not interrupt her breathing. Hope this helps.

Tortoises don't have sinus passages, the nares (nostril openings) feed directly into the mouth. Tortoises actually don't breathe when they have a mouthful of food, which is why if you have ever watched a bigger sulcata eat, they exhale deeply after swallowing. Mazuri up the nose is nothing to worry about, the tortoise will clear its nose on its own.

 

[alysciaingram]

Good to know! Thanks Livingstone.