As you know I have a six year old Horsefield, over the last month he's grown a little beak, it's not massive but what do I do? I look after him well so I don't understand it!
never ever tempt to do it yourself unless you are very experienced. One of my tortoises has a slight beak. It is because in the wild they natural eat of rocks and it wears there beak down. I feed mine on a paving slab so when she eats it files her beak down. If teh tortoise can still eat with no problems then i wouldnt worry. but if the tortoise cant eat very well take him/her to the vets.
Exactly how much of a beak? 1 millimeter? 5? Most captive torts do have a slight overhang on the beak. One way to help file it down is to offer cuttlebone. It's the bone of the cuttlefish that is given to birds to help keep the beak filed down safely, plus it's a great calcium supplement. Just break it up into a few pieces and offer it to him to chew on. When you offer it to him though, lay off of the regular supplement a little since you don't want complications from too much calcium. Just offer it occasionally. Our turts love them.
If it is bad, you can take him to your vet and they can trim it for you. Cuttle bone works well to help keep that from happening.
You know, I'll get the other half to post a pic of him up here later, you can then tell me what you think. I have noticed he's done alot of growing this last few months, he's got lots of new shell growth and its not an abnormal shape at all. I did get a new UV light which I think is better than the other one could that be it?
I doubt that. What's his diet like? (I'm sure you've told me this before - lol) What do you mean by new shell growth? A pic would be helpful, thanks!
He's got new shell growth, round the edges ya know? I'll post a pic when t'other half gets in! lol I feed him, grated carrot, grated cucumber(sometimes) Kale, endive, rocket, dandelion leaves and flowers, plus a few other flowers I read that I can give him. Not sure of the names! LOL
I was just making sure that "new shell growth" wasn't being confused with pyramiding, where the center of the scute begins to protrude due to nutritional deficiencies.
Phew, you had me worried! LOL Both my torts are well looked after, Just thought I'd missed something or done something wrong.
LOL...I have learned over the years not to offer a lot of information when talking to owners...I just say, what do you mean by that?...that way they don't lie to me. Not that I thought you'd lie, it's just something I do now with everyone. With some people, if you say, "well, this could happen if you don't feed them this" they say "oh, i do that..." So I don't give them any hints, that way I get to the truth faster. I'm sure your torts are well cared for. I have pics in a vet text on reptile medicine of turtles with beaks so overgrown that it looks like their faces are stretched out. And the owners bring them to the vets because "they're not eating." DUH! They can't! People can be stupid. Here's a classic example:
That picture is insane! I thought it was fake for a minute! Wow! How could someone let their animal get that way and not think there might be something wrong!
It's awful isn't it? I was a complete novice when I got my Horsefield but I combed the internet until I knew everything I could about how to keep them. They want locking up! It looks like a fish doesn't it?
they dont' pay attention. They throw some food in and they are uneducated in the ways of taking care of their animals. They don't notice anything wrong until they realize the food is not being eaten. The text I spoke of before has an entire chapter on anorexia in reptiles and pretty much every problem leading to the anorexia is from things that would be obvious if the owners just looked at their animals occasionally, like overgrown beaks, mouth abcesses, etc. An actual disease is less likely to be the cause of the anorexia than neglect is. It's sad, but happens so often that many of us think neglect as soon as we hear a reptile is sick. You know the saying, when you hear hoofbeats you don't think zebras...
I've never heard that saying before! lol My Torts are happy, they're lively even though it's getting cold. They'd eat me out of house and home if I let them and they're bathed and towel dried twice a week. My friend came to see the new one the other week and she said "they're lucky to have you as an owner, they'll get spoilt rotten" and they do! I adore them.
That is so sad people dont care how to learn to take care of their pets. Minxy, I spoil mine too so its ok!
