Ello, y'all. Anyone got a link for a guide to file nails/beak?

[ElHein]

Maybe you've even got a guide yourself? I would simply love some advice on this. I feel like a horrible owner when I see all your lovely tortoises. Rogers beak is pretty shaped, but Gauta has a tip to hers. I have stones and cuttlebones for them, but it seems Roger is the only one who actually enjoys it. Of course, in the summer they seem to bury around a lot, so their nails and beaks are shaped by that. To be honest; my parents have been watching my tortoises since August while I'm away for my treatment. But I am to return right after the weekend, until then. I have them do all my errands i.e; shopping substrate etc. My family has sort of an internal pride; we like to do things ourselves. We cut our dogs' claws, when we get cut we stitch ourselves and preferrably, when our tortoises get their beaks, we file them down ourselves. I'm going to have them for my entire life, so I'm thinking that I should learn sooner or later.

So please post a link or a guide! I would love that!

[Jemma1]

i would also like some tips on cutting/ trimming/ filing beaks! ta x

[Alex]

I don't trim any beaks, I have one tortoise whose beak can grow pretty long. What i do is place their food on a hard surface, often a broken paying stone or something similar, this seems to work brilliantly as it keeps the beak length down without having to trim.

[Alan1]

For my torts (hermanns) the hard surface thing just didn't seem like it had any benefits at all. if something is lying flat on the slate when they eat, their beak simply doesn't touch the slate, they stick their tongue out and it seems to stick to it and then they just hoover it up like that

for torts that have overgrown beaks then it may well work as obviously the beak will be longer and they may have trouble sticking their tongue out anyway.

my ones eat A LOT of cuttlefish bone whick helps. Also tough weeds like plantain and cat's eat will help too

[ElHein]

Just returned from a hellish few days without my own computer. Good lord.
mine are actually pretty smart that way. Instead of chewing on the hard, underlying surface they simple eat with their tongues. Very gently and very slowly. I'm thinking about changing the substrate, (though I'll make a new thread about that) and then see how they'll handle it.

[Pussygalore]

Neither of my two adults have ever had their beaks or claws cut and I beleive its because they are outside from spring to late summer and are then hibernated. Being outside on hard ground and foraging for their own food wears any growth from the winter which is very slow, I'm sure they don't get them trimmed in the wild. I have paving slabs, bare hard packed earth as well as grasss areas and it all seems to work very well. However if you do have to trim then I'd strongly advise the vets first time, there have been stories of nicking the vein and having a real job to stop the bleeding.

[suttysue]

i have 3 horsefield and I trim claws often with a small pair of nail clippers. I only take a small amout off so as not to damage the vessel inside. Done often means they get use to it and its never a huge job. I have yet to think/worry about thier beaks.
sue

[Geochelonian]

If the nails, beak, AND edges of the shell are overgrown, there may be a dietary issue involved, probably wrong levels of vitamin D and calcium.

Some good walking surfaces help with the nails (stone, slate, hard bark, etc.), harder foods help with the beak (stalks, rinds, cuttlebone, crunchy stuff like tortoise pellets, etc.)

I've been told, but have not tried it, that a small battery powered nail trimmer/file works for the beaks. Does not sound like fun!