The Tortoise Table

Hi folks - are there any step by step guides to this please or is self help a no-no?

Thanks,

Heather

Hi Heather,

I haven't had to do this myself, but I do remember people talking about using a dremel (that little rotary tool). I know that people trim the beaks of their tortoises safely, but you do need to be careful as underneath the top layer of hard keratin in the beak there are blood vessels and nerve endings. In an overgrown beak the "live" part of the beak 
is usually further down from the end, and the end bit is just dead cells, but you do need to take care and do it slowly, as you don't want to cut into a blood vessel.

Most advice is to try and feed your tortoise on a piece of slate or limestone, so that when he goes to bite at the food he gradually wears down his beak, but I know this isn't always possible, and so many tortoises will have to have beaks trimmed at some point. A vet could do it for you, but you could also have a go yourself and see how you get on -- the thing is to do it in such a way that there is as little stress as possible for the tortoise.

How overgrown is the beak? Do you want to send us a photo?

Nina

Hi Heather.
I think for a first time trim I woudl go along to a vrt and ask them to show you how it is done so if you need to in the future then you will know what to do.
I used nail clippers when I did mine as I thought the Dremels were to scary for me - lol.

Lin

Thanks both - when Achillea first came to me her beak was trimmed as a part of her initial health check. It appears to be rather overshot - but maybe that's normal(?). She is fed on a stone hearth, but that doesn't seem to have helped. I don't think it's a big problem...yet!

I understand what you say about the blood vessels - rather like claws in mammals I guess. I am experienced at trimming (barefoot) horse's hooves, but that's on a different scale!!

As you know I have a local reptile specialist, but due to a recent (non reptile related) 'issue' this may be problematic in future. Difficult.

I'll try a pic. Watch this space.



Heather

..and here it is:

[attachment=0]Achillea beak 4.10.17.jpg[/attachment]

Heather

..and here it is:

Bizaar - the system said it could not access the file the first time, then did the second one as well as allowing the first, all in one go!!



Hx

Glad you got the photos up! Yes the uploading process baffles me most of the time too.
Well, the beak does look a bit long, but not the worst I've seen. Does it inhibit her from eating easily?

Nina

Not so's you'd notice!!



Heather

I don't know if it would work, but you could try feeding her on a piece of slate or limestone and see if the overgrowth gradually wears down a bit (but it might be easier just to ask your vet if he thinks it needs trimming). Difficult to say, sometimes -- maybe someone else will come in and say if they think this is significant overgrowth.

Nina