Should/can sharp carapace projections be filed?
 

I have a pair of Manouria emys emys. They are both great climbers. A couple of years ago, whilst climbing, the male must have slid forwards and not retracted his head. The result was that he gave himself a cut in the back of his neck from the nuchal scute. This projects forward about half a cm and is like a sharpened screwdriver head (not a star head obviously!). The cut healed. I made sure using antiseptic stuff. Two years later, he has done it again, only this time the cut ended up with a small abscess. His neck was quite swollen for a few days. Then the surface of the abscess cracked and out it popped like a small boiled egg. The damage is now healing well. But I have had enough. Does anyone have any knowledge of whether it is possible/desirable to file the end of the scute so it is no longer a blade. I can then be hopeful that he won't do it again! Cheers!

Be nice to get a picture :D, but yes it's fine to file that so it isn't so sharp.

Danny

Where'd you get emys emys in the UK?

Anyway... take a dremmel... rotary grinder... file... and take it down. Post a photo and I'll tell you how much.

is it ok to dremel living tissue, will it not be painful?

You're not looking to drill living tissue. On the edge of sharp scutes the keritin usually grows fast. The sharp point is probably mostly keritin which is now more than an over grown finger nail.

I normally dremel overgrown beaks and toe nails. Rarely do the tortoises mind.

thank you, was just curious, no more painful than trimming a beak then.

I would have to say less so because I can so imagine a drill being taken to my teeth and the trimming of the beak would have to be worse if you think about it but I've found that most of the tortoises that I've done this with actually seem to enjoy it when I see them stretch their necks out while i'm trimming the beak.

Thanks for the advice, I will put in a photo shortly. Got F10 barrier ointment on the wound and it is healing well. I have no dremmel, so circular saw...just joking. I will take time and use an emery board. Picture after dinner!

I can imagine what you are talking about so a simple nail file would suit you fine.

please add pictures, I've never seen an emys emys