Need advice, vet trimmed beak right off!

[SandyM]

Hi Everyone,

I am hoping someone here can give me some advice. I took my 20 year old three toed turtle to the vet yesterday. I was worried he had the begging of a URI. I could hear a clicking noise and yesterday he made this really loud sound I had never heard before. So, the vet put him on an antibiotic as she felt he "might" have a sinus or URI. She said his beak looked a bit long so she said she would quickly trim it while he was there. Because I was really sick I asked my daughter to take him in for me and the vet and I talked on the phone. When my daughter walked in and I saw his beak I was horrified. It's basically gone!! He was eating and active and now he's not moving around and looks miserable. He has no interest in food whatsoever. I tried calling but they had closed so I will be on the phone first thing in the morning to see what happened. Will this grow back? Do you think he's in major pain? I feel terrible. His mouth is open all the time now because there is no beak. I'm SO worried. I have attached a picture.

Thank You
Sandy

 

[SILVERSTAR]

wow thats crazy ive nev seen that one,he might jus be pissed cuz he had his beak cutt on but hopefully he bounces back

 

[dmarcus]

Wow what was the vet thinking...I hope he feels better soon and hope the vet has a good reason for cutting the beak like that..

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Oh my. Geez, maybe it looks worse than it is??? When CA wakes up they will tell you. Sorry, I know nothing so I am bumping this in hopes that Emysemy's or Maggie3fan can weigh in. They will know something.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Wow, that is terrible. Some vets don't know how to do these maintenance procedures. Unless the vet damaged the bone underneath the keratin, then the beak should grow back (assuming the turtle is not in too much pain to eat for a long time). Give it a few days and see if the turtle's mouth feels better, and hopefully he will start feeding again. As for the vet bill, you shouldn't have to pay for a botched procedure like that.

Remember, in the future you can prevent having to trim the turtle's beak or claws in the first place. Just provide some hard foods and a cuttle bone that the turtle can gnaw on to wear its beak down on a regular basis. Similarly, to keep the claws in good shape, make sure the turtle gets plenty of exercise, and has a hard surface to walk and dig on.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Sandy:

Welcome to the forum!!

May we know where you are?

I'm thinking that the vet had an accident while trimming the beak. They do snap off if you're not careful. But not to worry. It will grow back. I'm sure it is quite painful, just like if you were to lose a fingernail. Eventually the sensitivity will go away, but it will be sore for a while. I doubt the turtle will feel much like eating. Give him a couple weeks. Turtles and tortoises can go quite a long time without eating. In the mean time, just offer him soft foods, foods that he doesn't have to bite off.

I would talk to the vet, but stay calm. If you fly off the handle, the vet will become defensive and you will get nowhere. Let him know you are not happy with what happened and get his explanation. And if you're not satisfied with the vet's explanation, look for a different vet for the next time you need one.

 

[SandyM]

Here is the picture....I hope.

 

[SandyM]

Hi Sandy:

Welcome to the forum!!

May we know where you are?

Hi,

Thank you so much for the responses. I am in Alberta Canada, and there are only a couple of vets here that see turtles. The vet will be in this afternoon so I left a message for her to call me. I'm a reasonable person and understand accidents happen. What I can't accept is that they sent him home that way and said nothing. This clinic is suppose to be one of the best for reptiles. I HATE seeing animals in distress so seeing Boo just sit with his head down and not moving is VERY upsetting. He went in originally because I could here some clicking noise. It got louder on Saturday so I was concerned it may be an URI. He had no discharge from his eyes or nose, he was alert and active. The noise bothered me though. THAT is why he went in and while he was there the vet said his beak was a bit overgrown and she could give it a "quick" trim. 45 minutes later he was brought back out with this mess.

I am also suppose to give him these injections every three days. I have to thaw the vile, draw up the antibiotic and then re-freeze the vile until the next dose. It called ceftazidime. The vet said she thinks he may have either an URI, or a sinus infection.

I am really concerned about his apathy right now.

Thank again.
Sandy

---

Oh my. Geez, maybe it looks worse than it is???

Unfortunately it is this bad.

Sandy

---

 

[Kristina]

My suggestion is to get some Mazuri tortoise chow. Several members here on the forum sell it and I am sure that someone can ship it to Canada, if you can't find it locally. You can soak it in hot water and it will soften right up. If you use the right amount of water it will turn into a mash. The smell of it is extremely attractive to them, and it may entice him to take a bite. Because it is so soft, it should not cause him pain. A balanced diet is always best, but in this instance it is more important for him to get SOME nutrition rather than none at all. Mazuri is the best commercial diet out there. My baby box turtles love it, as well as my adults.

 

[SandyM]

My suggestion is to get some Mazuri tortoise chow.

Thank you, I have it on order and it will be here Thursday. had to order it online from Ontario.

Sandy

 

[SnakeyeZ]

Holy cow! I would be pissed off if our vet did that.

 

[dmmj]

Looks like they whacked off quite a bit, but in all honesty it could have been an accident. if I were you I would learn to do it myself , saves time and money and then if something goes wrong as least you know what went wrong. You can use a dremel or nail file, easiest ways to do it IMHO. He is probably not feeling to good right now (think of a toothache) and is probably not inclined to eating right now, also the meds could have an effect on his appetite.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome, lets hope it grows back just fine.

 

[Madkins007]

Any of a dozen things could have gone wrong- a weakened section that snapped off, the turtle pulling its head suddenly, etc.

But I don't see raw tissue, and would bet that it does not bother it as much as we may think it does. Wild turtles suffer much, much worse and recover nicely.

In the mean time, keep it warm, stress free, clean, and hydrated.

 

[Saloli]

it looks bad but as long as the growth area (like the cutical base on you finger nails) it should grow back. try some mushy foods and keep an eye on him

 

[Mao Senpai]

Poor thing... I would be seriously pissed if I saw that. But as people said, it may not be as bad and over time it will be fine...

 

[terryo]

I am speechless!!! I can't believe that you brought your animal to a vet and this happened. I don't care if it was an accident or not. They should have called you and explained to you what happened, and offered an apology at least. It would be very hard for me to keep my cool when confronting them.
I would soak some Mazuri like Kristina said, and mix in some baby food. I'm a big fan of canned Venison too. I hope your boxie will be OK.....I just can't believe this.

 

[SandyM]

So, I talked to the vet and told her I was NOT happy. I told her he can't eat and he's very apathetic and what the world am I suppose to do? She said she was sorry and that when she was trimming a part of the beak just broke right off. She said she was tying to even it out and because his mouth was open while she was doing it, she didn't realize until after that she had gone that short. She said the lower part had grown up quite high and that she trimmed quite a bit off that too. She said she felt just sick about it. I told her that I felt she should NEVER have just sent him home this way and not called me. I asked her if I would be charged for anything related to this if I need to come in for anything. She told me she would talk to the owner and call me back. When she called back it was like I was talking to a different vet. She took back everything she said and told me she was going to stand by everything she did. The owner said he has had that happen and it's not their fault if the beak was brittle and breaks off. She said he told her he has seen beaks in much worse shape and they do fine, it may just take some time. In the mean time if he won't eat feel free to bring him in and they will tube feed him.......for a fee of course. So that was that. Oh and she said that there was NO WAY he was in pain because there was no blood or trauma to the area, he's probably just mad.

Boo is not eating anything at all. I don't know if it's the antibiotics or the beak trim. I'm going to pray that when I get that food you all suggested he'll eat it.
Thanks for all the advice.
Sandy

 

[DixieParadise]

Wow, I can't believe they treated you that way. Just trying to protect themselves no doubt. Hope there are other vets in your area, so you won't have to deal with that one again.

 

[Kristina]

I would find out who to contact, if there is a state board for veterinary medicine, or maybe the AVMA and lodge a complaint. That treatment is unconscionable.