Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Two of my leopards, 8 inch brothers, have overgrown beaks. Is trimming them somenthing I can do myself, or should I take them to a vet, or should I not worry about it until it becomes worse (does not interfere with eating at all). My other leopards on the same high fiber diet do not have overgrown beaks, so there is some genetic aspect to this.

I had to have my Hermann's beak trimmed last year. I tried to do it myself but chickened out, so I took him to the vet. He used a Dremmel & said that if you let it get too overgrown, blood vessels start forming in the overgrown area & that future trimmings become surgery.
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I have always been more comfortable having my vet do it. My box turtle's beak doesn't line up properly and he needs a trim about once a year. She uses a dremmel to do it. It takes two people. She charges $15 I think, but if you have never been to the vet before they will probably want to do an exam, and then once your torts are patients there they will probably be willing to just do trims as needed.

I had a box turtle's beak trimmed a couple of months ago, it only cost me 7 dollars. I have a dremmel but after watching the vet & her assistant do this I'd rather pay the money than try to do it myself without a helper who can keep a grip on that little turtle head.
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PHRatz