Beak Trimming

[reptylefreek]

So I tried to feed Bumper some raw squash to start helping her trim her beak, but I think the peice was just slightly too small because she was surprised by it and seemed like it got stuck on her beak. She just sat there shaking her head until I got it loose. So should I just throw a whole small sqash or zuccini and just let her at it for a while? I'm really lost on this one. I didn't think she would be interested in it if it was whole. But like I said I'm kinda lost on this one. Any one?

 

[bettinge]

How big is she, that may influence how big the pieces are. I do not think a huge piece relative to her size is a problem. She can knaw on it.

Do you have a cuttlebone in the enclosure. My greeks seem to love it and are always knawing on it. Cuttlebone is somwhat abrasive and I think it would do wonders to prevent a beak. I'm not sure how fast it would wear down a large existing beak.

Others say to feed on a tile or stone to wear the beak. I do this as well, but I rarely see the beak ever touch the tile.

 

[reptylefreek]

I would try the tile but I rarely see her beak touch the dish. I am gonna try cuttle bone but she could be upwards of 15 years old and never had a cuttle bone so I dont know if she'll touch it. Couldn't hurt to try. She about the size a a watermelon. About 11 lbs. So she's not small, so thats why I was gonna throw in big peices.

 

[purpod]

Greetings RFreek~

I would perhaps cut a squash in half long-ways, to let the smells entice her to give it another try ~ And yeah, the cuttle bone is a good idea if she'll go for it; my little leopards won't touch a cuttlebone. I've never had any problems with their beaks (of course, they are all much younger than yours). Keep us posted as to what you find that works, okie?

Thanx & good luck,
Purpod

 

[katesgoey]

Hi Jessica,

I don't think Tank had ever seen a cuttlebone before and it took him awhile, but now he gnaws on one. I split one in half and set it in his dish for several weeks until I finally started seeing his marks on it. Now I just toss one in his pen. Bump chews them up faster than Tank does and even little Moose gnaws on his already. So much of this is new for your Bumper that it may take time so just introduce things consistently and be patient.

 

[bettinge]

I know my spelling of gnaw did not look right! Wish we had spell check here at the forum!

Then again I never did respect a person that could not spell a word more than one way!

 

[Yvonne G]

I know my spelling of gnaw did not look right! Wish we had spell check here at the forum!

Then again I never did respect a person that could not spell a word more than one way!

When you're typing a word, and it shows up on your screen with a red line under it, the computer is telling you it is mis spelled. All you have to do is right click on the word and it will give you the correct spelling and several other choices. For instance, when I type jnaw, it shows on the screen underlined in red, then right click, a window opens up that shows me, "jaw, gnaw, jana, etc" This might only be a feature of Windows, I'm not sure.

Yvonne

 

[jobeanator]

ive put cuttlebone in with my sulcatas before, and they didnt seem too interested in it. they just seemed to enjoy climbing over it lol. is there a way to get them interested in it or make it look delicious to them?

 

[Traveller]

I've been using cuttlebone in both of our enclosures.
It did take some time for the torts to use them, but both Rosy and
Luka eat them off and on.
They don't use them on a daily basis, but seem to go through phases
of using the cuttlebone.
I did read somewhere in my wanderings that it does take a bit for the torts
to eat the cuttlebone because it has a fishy smell to it.
I'm looking forward to hear about what others use to keep beaks
in shape too.
I'm feeding in the exo-terra dishes and hoping that will do the trick
of trimming beaks?
Our Luka is only 3.5 years old so not that big yet.

 

[katesgoey]

ive put cuttlebone in with my sulcatas before, and they didnt seem too interested in it. they just seemed to enjoy climbing over it lol. is there a way to get them interested in it or make it look delicious to them?

Just to give you an example: With Tank, who was already 10+ years when I got him - it took him a while - several weeks, I think - I kept putting a big chunk of it in his feed dish until I saw that he had gnawed on it. Now I toss one in his pen. I gave Bump (who is 5 yrs old) and Tank a new one last week. Bump's is almost half gone (and he likes it), Tank's only has seven or so gnaw marks. So, while Tank doesn't relish his like Bump does, he does now partake a bit now and then. Maybe as they get older, they don't need as much?

 

[jobeanator]

oh, ive never tried that for some reason. i usually just put it right in his enclosure near his food dish. he seemed to look at it but never really looked like he wanted to nibble at it.

 

[Yvonne G]

ive put cuttlebone in with my sulcatas before, and they didnt seem too interested in it. they just seemed to enjoy climbing over it lol. is there a way to get them interested in it or make it look delicious to them?

After it sits quite a while on the ground the "fishy" smell goes away and it becomes more attractive to the tortoises. You just have to leave it there. Eventually they will eat it. Sometimes takes months.

Yvonne

 

[Stazz]

I work off an iMac Yvonne, and the red line comes up under my misspelled words and I use the spell check when needed Love it!!!

Joby, my Tallula has had her cuttle bone in her enclosure for months and she just walks all over it, I constantly have to clean it as I find it half buried under her substrate hahahaha....maybe a doggy in her past life?hehehe.

---

Oh Sandy I'm going to try that .....I'm going to put T's cuttle bone IN her food dish from now on See if she throws it out or not haha

 

[purpod]

Soo, aside from the cuttle bone, (Yeah, I kept having to clean the one I had in their enclosure, as they would even poo on the darn thing.. hence the reason why I finally gave up on that idea) what have others done (if anything) to trim their tort's beaks?

Thanx a bunch!
Purpod

 

[Yvonne G]

Soo, aside from the cuttle bone, (Yeah, I kept having to clean the one I had in their enclosure, as they would even poo on the darn thing.. hence the reason why I finally gave up on that idea) what have others done (if anything) to trim their tort's beaks?

Thanx a bunch!
Purpod

I use a toe nail clipper for the box turtles with over grown beaks. But for the larger animals with harder beaks I use a Dremmel tool and grind them down. Its a two-man job, though. Someone to hold out a leg so they can't pull in all the way and the other to hold the head and use the file.

Yvonne

 

[chadk]

I did my first beak trim on my little sulcata. It wasn't that it was too long. Long, but not bad. But it developed a crack and I did not want it spreading any further can causing more issues.

It was not fun, that is for sure. And broke my heart to think it trusted me and I had to grab that little neck like that. But sometimes doing what is best is hard... I just used a finger nail clippers and then an emmery board I snuck from my wife

He does have cuddlebone, but this was not something that would have helpd I'm afraid.

 

[terracolson]

i have used this tool before..worked great for my box turtles but my russian's beak was quite a bit tuffer and i am waiting for a second hand.

My box girls were inside for 12 years before i got them and used to this tool, thats why i kept it up with them.

This was bought brand new just for them..never used it for around the house things.

Diagonal cut pliers

 

[bettinge]

I know my spelling of gnaw did not look right! Wish we had spell check here at the forum!

Then again I never did respect a person that could not spell a word more than one way!

When you're typing a word, and it shows up on your screen with a red line under it, the computer is telling you it is mis spelled. All you have to do is right click on the word and it will give you the correct spelling and several other choices. For instance, when I type jnaw, it shows on the screen underlined in red, then right click, a window opens up that shows me, "jaw, gnaw, jana, etc" This might only be a feature of Windows, I'm not sure.

Yvonne

Yvonne, I never get the red line under a misspelled word. Could it be your using a different operating system? Do you think its the forum that underlines the misspelled words? Wish I could find an easy fix, as I don't like using poor grammer!

 

[Yvonne G]

My operating system is Windows XP. Maybe that's what corrects the words for me. However, it works all over the computer, no matter where I am...on YAHOOgroups, the forum, etc.

Yvonne