Strange “Tooth”

micreorge

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Sep 24, 2019
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Have a 50 lb sulcata and diet has stayed steady with no recent changed to anything. He still behaves the same but has developed a large, almost an inch long, strange tooth on the lower. He seems to not be able to incise his food as well and is probably eating less because of it. Can anyone help me?? I’m real worried about him. It’s slightly flexible at the base but pretty hard in general. Help!!
7C1426B4-9FA4-4BDC-BDC4-5D97903BB4D8.jpeg 002570E9-FEDD-44F2-A9AD-1AA4D0E7969C.jpeg
 

Turtle girl 98

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Have a 50 lb sulcata and diet has stayed steady with no recent changed to anything. He still behaves the same but has developed a large, almost an inch long, strange tooth on the lower. He seems to not be able to incise his food as well and is probably eating less because of it. Can anyone help me?? I’m real worried about him. It’s slightly flexible at the base but pretty hard in general. Help!!
View attachment 281275 View attachment 281276
Weird it looks almost like an egg tooth. I hope someone jumps in and has an idea. Good luck to you God bless
 

micreorge

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I am a dentist haha, so it wouldn't be that far out of the realm of possibilities for me to remove it!! But I would just fear hurting him and it getting infected or something. Will my tortoise Phil be able to bite down on gauze for 20 minutes and keep the area clean for 3-4 days??? :)
 

Yvonne G

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It's just like clipping off your fingernail. No reason to keep the clipped part clean.
 

Pastel Tortie

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Welcome to the Forum! I agree, it's fitting and also great for the tortoise that you're a dentist. :) We know you have some skills that will benefit the patient and the procedure, but we also realize nobody covered this in human dental school! :p

With that in mind, (FYI) normal advice for newbies starting beak trimming is to do it little by little. There's no anesthesia involved, so there's no reason it all has to be done in one fail swoop. It all comes down to the comfort level and degree of cooperation on the part of you, the tortoise, and whoever else gets to hold the tortoise during the procedure.

Oh, and do whatever @Yvonne G tells you to. SHE KNOWS. :D
 

micreorge

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I trust you guys, but the beak/tooth growth is rather large. Literally 3/4 of an inch and about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. It's not like a normal part of the beak, it's weird. I'll see if I can get a closer look and take a whack at it. Thanks for your advice!
 

Moozillion

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I am a dentist haha, so it wouldn't be that far out of the realm of possibilities for me to remove it!! But I would just fear hurting him and it getting infected or something. Will my tortoise Phil be able to bite down on gauze for 20 minutes and keep the area clean for 3-4 days??? :)
HAHA! :D
 

Mikeyz

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Wow, I have never seen this happen before to a tortoise. I love how you experienced tortoise owners help with your experienced knowledge. I really like this site. You folks are a blessing! I'm glad I found this site. Thanks for helping.
 

DesertGirl

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I am a dentist haha, so it wouldn't be that far out of the realm of possibilities for me to remove it!! But I would just fear hurting him and it getting infected or something. Will my tortoise Phil be able to bite down on gauze for 20 minutes and keep the area clean for 3-4 days??? :)

Rinse, spit. don’t forget to floss!
 

Wpagey

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Sep 12, 2021
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Have a 50 lb sulcata and diet has stayed steady with no recent changed to anything. He still behaves the same but has developed a large, almost an inch long, strange tooth on the lower. He seems to not be able to incise his food as well and is probably eating less because of it. Can anyone help me?? I’m real worried about him. It’s slightly flexible at the base but pretty hard in general. Help!!
View attachment 281275 View attachment 281276
Our 12 yr old sulcata just grew one just like this! What ended up happening with yours?
 

wellington

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Our 12 yr old sulcata just grew one just like this! What ended up happening with yours?
This is 4 years ago and they haven't been back on. Best to do is take the advice given on this thread and apply it to your own tortoise.
Also, instead of post on old threads, better off starting a new one to get the help you might need.
 

Wpagey

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This is 4 years ago and they haven't been back on. Best to do is take the advice given on this thread and apply it to your own tortoise.
Also, instead of post on old threads, better off starting a new one to get the help you might need.
👍🏻
 

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