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I finally received my second Russian (male) This was the second half of a pair that I rescued from a coworker who could no longer care for them. The first (female) had a large overbite from being kept in an indoor environment with nothing to crew on. The male now has the same problem.

I took the female to the vet a few weeks ago for an $80 beak trim. I have read that I could do this myself with a dremel tool. I already have a dremel and am comfortable using it. Does anyone have any advice on which tool bit in particular would be best to use? I imagine that there must be one disc or bit that can do the job quickly without a lot of heat buildup.

Also, any advice on techniques to keep his head out during the process?

I haven't had to trim any totoise beaks but I use my dremel to trim my dogs nails. I use a sanding drum with fine sand paper at low speed.
Charlie

my redfoot's beak once had to be trimmed at the vet's, but i can't recall what kind of tip was on the tool. it was the same as he used for birds' beaks. as far as restraint goes, my boyfriend held the tort in place, and i held a plastic wedge in her mouth to keep it open enough, while the vet held her head out with one hand and dremelled with the other. unless your tort is extraordinarily tolerant, this may be a 2-person job at the least! good luck!

2 person job ...YES!

My vet only charges $18, if that is all I bring her in for. I found a web site a few years back that showed step by step how to trim the beak with a dremmel and my husband and I did trim my hinged back once. The vet was much faster, less stressful on the tort., and for $18 it was well worth it. You might call around to other vets to see if you can get a better price. Just my 2 cents......

I never had Russians but heres what happens with a Mt.Tortoise. If you let it lay on a table/floor so it can feel its feet on the ground. It may feel like it can get away even though you can hold it with one hand over the top. When held up in the air and upside down it will want to contract. Also poaking them around the rear leg with something that wont make a hole but is blunt might make it come out. You can try to do it while hes on a run to nowhere or as his head bobs in and out. I hate grabing their head soooo much i dont do it. I held a 45 lb mt.tortoise between my knees with my head on the ground upside down in front of him. I poaked him in the rear leg and drimmeled off a razor sharp ridge behind his beak/upper Mandible. Like a shark! We did the two step, Popped out..drill..drill then back in,then the poak then back out and so on until I was the winner. What a headache. It helped he was mean to begin with. Realy sometimes there is no choise but to have a Vet. put them under and get it over with. To learn something about all this babbling on,I can say at least with Manouria emys is that their upper beak U.M. will just brake off about every fifteen years or so. Like a lizard's tail,it snaps off at natures perferated line with no bleeding. It gives them a whole new look. I'd give it a try. Vic M.......pic caption..."get away from me with that thing"!

My vet charged $55 to trim my male Hermann's beak with a Dremmel. I think I could do it myself if ever needed, but he's kept it worn down nicely.
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DeeCee

Dis you see how he did it?

In particular, how did he hold the head to keep it from retracting into the shell?

Also, with the dremel, did he use a grinding tool or a cutting disc?

It was a grinding stone. An assistant held the tortoise with both hands. One hand was towards the front with 1st & middle fingers holding his head. I don't recall him struggling very much, but then he's used to contact with people & isn't finger shy at all.

You might be able to do it by yourself but I think it's a 2 person job.
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DeeCee