Midas' Own Personal Thread :-)

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Ok, so let me tell you in advance if I have any questions about anything on my leopard tortoise it will be posted here. Ok so Midas has a bit of an under bite on his beak. Is this normal? If not how can I fix it? I spent like 30 minutes the other day trying to get pictures but I couldn't It's just that the bottom part of his beak goes over the top part. What do I do? Thanks all in advance

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Anyone?

 

[Greg T]

Is he eating okay? If so, there isn't anything you need to do. The only way to fix a true underbite is surgery. One of mine has a underbite too and she is doing fine.

 

[wellington]

Ditto

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Is he eating okay? If so, there isn't anything you need to do. The only way to fix a true underbite is surgery. One of mine has a underbite too and she is doing fine.

He is eating perfectly fine. I just thought would it be deformed when he gets older?

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

*bump*'ing myself! XD

 

[BowandWalter]

*bump*'ing myself! XD

Wasn't there a no bumping rule posted awhile ago?

Walter had a bad underbite when I first rescued him, it was so bad he couldn't pick up food off the ground. If Midas can still eat normally you don't really have to go to any extreme form of treatment, feed him his leaves whole, pinned up, and feed anything else on a slate. Then if it isn't natural it should resolve itself.

 

[jtrux]

Oh geez, if his beak is messed up you had better send him to me right away, he needs very special care...lol

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Oh geez, if his beak is messed up you had better send him to me right away, he needs very special care...lol

Nah, I think I'll keep him  XD

 

[Neal]

Does he have outside time where he can graze on fresh grass? or do you grow any plants for him inside?

I have not had this happen in any of my tortoises, but occasionally I will pick up a tortoise from someone that has a bit of an under-bite. 9 times out of 10, this clears up on its own after a couple of months from grazing. I have had to take one tortoise in to have the vet file down the beak with a dremel tool, but the under-bite didn't hinder the tortoises ability to eat, so it was done for cosmetic purposes.

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Does he have outside time where he can graze on fresh grass? or do you grow any plants for him inside?

I have not had this happen in any of my tortoises, but occasionally I will pick up a tortoise from someone that has a bit of an under-bite. 9 times out of 10, this clears up on its own after a couple of months from grazing. I have had to take one tortoise in to have the vet file down the beak with a dremel tool, but the under-bite didn't hinder the tortoises ability to eat, so it was done for cosmetic purposes.

Yes he does get grazing time in the grass outside. I dont have any grass growing for him AT THE MOMENT inside but I will have some soon

 

[Levi the Leopard]

i really think regular, natural grazing is important for the beak maintenance. more important than feeding the food on a piece of slate. my leo has only ever grazed. i even clip his leafy foods with a chip clip and bury it in the dirt to make a "grazing bush". his beak is absolutely perfect.

even if you dont have grasses growing right now, try clipping his foods so he can graze that way.

just a suggestion since you asked ways to fix an irregular beak...

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

i really think regular, natural grazing is important for the beak maintenance. more important than feeding the food on a piece of slate. my leo has only ever grazed. i even clip his leafy foods with a chip clip and bury it in the dirt to make a "grazing bush". his beak is absolutely perfect.

even if you dont have grasses growing right now, try clipping his foods so he can graze that way.

just a suggestion since you asked ways to fix an irregular beak...

I do take the weeds I feed him and put them on a chip clip and bury it down in the substrate that way he has a natural bush/weed