Tortoise beak cracking?

[JDDV97]

Hello, I have a baby leopard tortoise, but it seems to me. His beak is chipping away and looks like it’s scabbing . Should I be worried ? One piece looks like it can be chipped off and flicked forward . U can kinda see the small piece in center that’s chipping off . Is this harmful ? Will it grow back.? What’s causing it ?

@Tom @wellington
@Littleredfootbigredheart @Alex and the Redfoot @Yvonne G

 

[zovick]

Does your tortoise have an underbite? That is what it looks like to me, but I can't be certain from the photos.

If so, that could be why the beak is chipping. You might need to take it to a vet to have the beak reshaped to try to eliminate the underbite. It could take several different visits with a good exotics vet to correct this problem.

 

[Tom]

I thought the same as Zovick.

It could be that there was a problem, and now the beak is self-correcting. If it were mine, I'd just watch it for a few weeks and see how it develops.

 

[JDDV97]

I thought the same as Zovick.

It could be that there was a problem, and now the beak is self-correcting. If it were mine, I'd just watch it for a few weeks and see how it develops.

I’ve only had him a month but I’ll switch to his basking slate to feed him as opposed to terra cotta dish .

 

[Tom]

I’ve only had him a month but I’ll switch to his basking slate to feed him as opposed to terra cotta dish .

I don't think that will matter at all. I'd keep the saucer to keep the food off the substrate better.

 

[JDDV97]

I don't think that will matter at all. I'd keep the saucer to keep the food off the substrate better.

I thought the slate helped with over grown beak ?

 

[Tom]

I thought the slate helped with over grown beak ?

People say that, but I see no evidence of that. I'v never used a feeding slate and not of my 50+ tortoises ever have beak issues. I've been given rescues with messed up beaks, and they self0correct in my care with no feeding slates.

Eating substrate mixed with the food is more of a problem than whatever benefit there would be from using a flat slate, and I don't think there is any benefit.

I believe this to be one of those myths that are not true but often repeated. Like these:
-Soaking too much will upset the tortoise's "water balance".
-Don't hibernate a tortoise for the first ________ years... (insert the number of your choosing)
-Sulcatas come from the desert and need hot dry conditions.
-Orchid bark emits toxic fumes.

There are lots of them.

 

[wellington]

I have always used ruff plastic plates and I have never had a beak issue. Even my rescue Russian who had a beak problem that I trimmed has not had the problem again. I do think the plates/slate/ clay saucers help but I think letting them graze and rip their own food into bite size pieces helps a lot too.

 

[JDDV97]

What do you think I should do in regards to the beak? Does it look bad?

 

[wellington]

Is any part of the beak loose? If it is, I would try to feed small bits of food he doesn't have to rip at and not on a hard plate but a plastic plate.
If it's not loose then ignore the above.
I would also keep a close eye on it and and see if it corrects itself.

 

[JDDV97]

Is any part of the beak loose? If it is, I would try to feed small bits of food he doesn't have to rip at and not on a hard plate but a plastic plate.
If it's not loose then ignore the above.
I would also keep a close eye on it and and see if it corrects itself.

Yes, there’s a small part that looks like it’s chipping and loose. Should I take him to a vet to get filed or is he too young?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

People say that, but I see no evidence of that. I'v never used a feeding slate and not of my 50+ tortoises ever have beak issues. I've been given rescues with messed up beaks, and they self0correct in my care with no feeding slates.

Eating substrate mixed with the food is more of a problem than whatever benefit there would be from using a flat slate, and I don't think there is any benefit.

I believe this to be one of those myths that are not true but often repeated. Like these:
-Soaking too much will upset the tortoise's "water balance".
-Don't hibernate a tortoise for the first ________ years... (insert the number of your choosing)
-Sulcatas come from the desert and need hot dry conditions.
-Orchid bark emits toxic fumes.

There are lots of them.

Our red foot used to have an overgrown beak when I first met her, I bought her a big feeding slate, little by little it went down to normal, I definitely think the slate helped

 

[Tom]

Our red foot used to have an overgrown beak when I first met her, I bought her a big feeding slate, little by little it went down to normal, I definitely think the slate helped

What makes you think that? Because the beak got better? Did you have another tortoise in an identical enclosure next to it with a similar beak problem that did not get better in the absence of a feeding slate? What about my tortoises that also got better with no feeding slate? How do you know the feeding slate made a difference and it wasn't some other variable, like giving the tortoise the correct diet and lighting?

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

What makes you think that? Because the beak got better? Did you have another tortoise in an identical enclosure next to it with a similar beak problem that did not get better in the absence of a feeding slate? What about my tortoises that also got better with no feeding slate? How do you know the feeding slate made a difference and it wasn't some other variable, like giving the tortoise the correct diet and lighting?

This was very early on in me meeting her, it wasn’t horribly overgrown to the point of needing a trim imo, I still knew very little about her so was just initially making small tweaks, I wasn’t confident enough at the time to tweak her lighting knowing too little, but started with a slate because I read they could help and it was something minor I could do off my own back for her.
She’d gone years fed on plastic with an overgrown beak, then within a few months it’s seemed to go down to a nice natural shape after introducing it

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

What makes you think that? Because the beak got better? Did you have another tortoise in an identical enclosure next to it with a similar beak problem that did not get better in the absence of a feeding slate? What about my tortoises that also got better with no feeding slate? How do you know the feeding slate made a difference and it wasn't some other variable, like giving the tortoise the correct diet and lighting?

Granted though with those who have improved without the need for a slate or something similar, probably had improved diet and lighting that helped, I just think personally the slate seemed to help in squirts case, so imagine it might help others too sometimes

 

[wellington]

Granted though with those who have improved without the need for a slate or something similar, probably had improved diet and lighting that helped, I just think personally the slate seemed to help in squirts case, so imagine it might help others too sometimes

Which probably aren't many that has improved without the slate, etc. The slate working is common sense, in my opinion. There are certain things a pet bird should have so they can keep their beaks and nails filed down. If pet rabbits have the proper items in their enclosure, and diet, their teeth will stay filed down. If we raised our tortoises exactly as they would live in the wild, we wouldn't have to worry about beaks over growing, but we don't do that.
Yes, the slates work but not if people are piling the food up where the slate is never really touched.
Once they are big enough to live outside, for those tortoises lucky enough to have that, even part of the year, the gazing will then help keep it filed down.
Of course no way in captivity will be a 100% for every tortoise.

 

[JDDV97]

Which probably aren't many that has improved without the slate, etc. The slate working is common sense, in my opinion. There are certain things a pet bird should have so they can keep their beaks and nails filed down. If pet rabbits have the proper items in their enclosure, and diet, their teeth will stay filed down. If we raised our tortoises exactly as they would live in the wild, we wouldn't have to worry about beaks over growing, but we don't do that.
Yes, the slates work but not if people are piling the food up where the slate is never really touched.
Once they are big enough to live outside, for those tortoises lucky enough to have that, even part of the year, the gazing will then help keep it filed down.
Of course no way in captivity will be a 100% for every tortoise.

do people feed tortoises on concrete for filing outside ?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

do people feed tortoises on concrete for filing outside ?

I don't, just a regular plastic or ceramic dish. Coarse cut or whole food items seems to work better for beak filing (at least for me).

 

[wellington]

do people feed tortoises on concrete for filing outside ?

When outside, grazing on what is naturally growing in their yard. If I feed mazuri, I either put it on a plastic dish or if there is a patch of grass that hasn't been eaten down yet, I put it on that.
Natural grazing and ripping at grasses, weeds, helps a lot.
If you read my post #16, I state that natural grazing outside keeps it filed.