Growth on lip

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
California
I just noticed Charlie has this growth that looks like a wart on his lip. What is it and should I be worried? It doesn't seem to be stopping him from eating.charlie 2018 2 17 017.jpg charlie 2018 2 17 018.jpg
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,658
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Is it a soft growth or possibly the lower beak over grown? If it's the beak I think I would trim it or file it down. Have a vet do it if your not comfortable. If it's a growth, I would keep a very close eye on it and if it changes, gets bigger or starts to look worse, I would have a vet look at it.
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
California
I don't think it is the beak. I think it is a growth because of how smooth and round it looks, and how quickly it showed up. I am afraid he will bite me if I try to touch it.

I think he knows it is there because this morning he looked like he was chewing before he got any food.
 

Dizisdalife

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 24, 2010
Messages
1,754
Location (City and/or State)
California
Handsome fellow that Charlie. It does look like part of the lower beak that has grown in. My sulcata has a smaller version of that growth. It is usually covered by the upper beak and seems to not interfere with his eating, so far. I just hate the idea of taking him to a Vet and having him sedated to trim the beak. Several years ago I needed to have him sedated for some x-rays and it was a month before he was his old self again. He lost 4 pound that month.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Some sulcatas have this problem. I don't know why it happens in some and not in all. What it is is the lower beak growing too much. You can just take the wire cutters or hoof trimmers or some type of tool that does heavy duty cutting, and cut it off. It's just like too much fingernail - no pain.
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
California
Handsome fellow that Charlie. It does look like part of the lower beak that has grown in. My sulcata has a smaller version of that growth. It is usually covered by the upper beak and seems to not interfere with his eating, so far. I just hate the idea of taking him to a Vet and having him sedated to trim the beak. Several years ago I needed to have him sedated for some x-rays and it was a month before he was his old self again. He lost 4 pound that month.
Thank you! It would be very stressful taking him to a vet. There isn't one near by and since he is over 100 pounds, it would be very difficult to get him there.
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
California
Some sulcatas have this problem. I don't know why it happens in some and not in all. What it is is the lower beak growing too much. You can just take the wire cutters or hoof trimmers or some type of tool that does heavy duty cutting, and cut it off. It's just like too much fingernail - no pain.
Thanks. This sounds like a good solution. I hope I don't chicken out.
 

Dizisdalife

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Dec 24, 2010
Messages
1,754
Location (City and/or State)
California
Good luck. My sulcata is close to 100 lbs., so I know what you mean about transporting him. Can't put 'em in a cardboard box on the passenger seat any more.
 

Jay Bagley

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2017
Messages
1,481
Location (City and/or State)
Michigan
I just noticed Charlie has this growth that looks like a wart on his lip. What is it and should I be worried? It doesn't seem to be stopping him from eating.View attachment 230774 View attachment 230775
Only been a member for a few months, so I think this is the first picture I've seen of Charlie. He looks awesome!! Very nice looking sulcata. Good luck with his lip.
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
California
Only been a member for a few months, so I think this is the first picture I've seen of Charlie. He looks awesome!! Very nice looking sulcata. Good luck with his lip.
Thank you! You aren't seeing him at his best.
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Greetings. Definitely looks like a good trimming is needed. I’m wondering how often you offer cuttlebone to your Big Charlie? In the first pix, you can see what looks like an overbite, causing the lower beak to grow out like that.

Good luck with the trimming!
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
This is an extreme case that came to me in 2015. I used the horse hoof clippers to clip it off. The guy who adopted him called me 6 months or so later and said it was growing back again.

2015 rescue #51a.jpg 2015 rescue #52a.jpg
 

TechnoCheese

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
4,505
Location (City and/or State)
Lewisville, Texas

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
California
It's off. I'm glad that is over! My clippers probably weren't sharp enough. I grabbed, he pulled his head back inside, I didn't let go and it came off. Two seconds later he was back grazing. I didn't want to annoy him anymore so I'll take a look at him tomorrow. This is what I removed. It isn't hollow -- the second picture just looks like that.charlie bump 2018 2 19 004.jpg charlie bump 2018 2 19 007.jpg
 

Jay Bagley

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 11, 2017
Messages
1,481
Location (City and/or State)
Michigan
It's off. I'm glad that is over! My clippers probably weren't sharp enough. I grabbed, he pulled his head back inside, I didn't let go and it came off. Two seconds later he was back grazing. I didn't want to annoy him anymore so I'll take a look at him tomorrow. This is what I removed. It isn't hollow -- the second picture just looks like that.View attachment 230999 View attachment 231000
Glad you got it off!! Nice work! Thats great he went right back to grazing.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
It's off. I'm glad that is over! My clippers probably weren't sharp enough. I grabbed, he pulled his head back inside, I didn't let go and it came off. Two seconds later he was back grazing. I didn't want to annoy him anymore so I'll take a look at him tomorrow. This is what I removed. It isn't hollow -- the second picture just looks like that.View attachment 230999 View attachment 231000
Wow! that's a new one on me. How strange.
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
California
Wow! that's a new one on me. How strange.
I'm thinking it wasn't an overgrown beak after all. It came off like there was a natural breaking point, and it appeared in a very short time. One day his lip was normal and a few days later, he had this big bump. Maybe it was a skin tag? Looking at him today, you can't tell it was cut. His lip just looks normal.
 

New Posts

Top