Posted by:
zovick
at Mon Jul 20 19:56:47 2009 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by zovick ]
Hi. This is my opinion, looking at your photos and being a dentist who has kept tortoises for over 40 years now. Your tortoise's upper beak has overgrown, judging from the length of the "overbite" it shows over the lower jaw. The front portion of that upper beak is almost down to the chin on the lower jaw. Because of this, the beak is weakened and normal biting has caused first the crack and now the lost piece. I also suspect that the crack was/is harboring some bacteria or fungus which further weakened it, so the missing piece broke away due to lack of support. The whitish area around the break should be scraped off (it will probably be soft like shell rot) until firm tissue is evident, and then painted with Gentian Violet to kill the organism that is infecting it. If you are not experienced with doing this type of thing, take it to a vet and have it done there. At the same time, the other portions of the upper beak (the front and opposite side) should be trimmed back about 1/8" or so to make its length more normal.
I hope this is helpful to you. I am simply trying to give you my recommendations for your tortoise in a friendly and easily understood manner, so please don't be offended.
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RE: Update on Russian beak break - zovick, Mon Jul 20 19:56:47 2009