Abnormal beak growth in turtles and parrots

In the wild, animals move freely, which contributes to the natural grinding of the beak. Parrots pull twigs and lean on their beaks, climbing tree trunks. But at home the bird is deprived of such an opportunity. Because of this, the beak may grow excessively. In parrots, abnormal beak growth may be due to factors such as:

• Excess macronutrients.
• Metabolic disorders.
• Lots of fat in the feed.
• Infectious diseases.
• Diseases of the internal organs.
• Hormonal failure.

The length of the beak of a free-living turtle is also adjusted naturally - due to the hard rocky soil. As a pet, the animal eats mostly soft food and in no way interacts with hard objects, so its beak may lengthen over time.

How to prevent lengthening of the beak of a pet?

Partially undesirable abnormal growth can be avoided by responsibly choosing a diet for your pet. The parrot should be fed not only soft food (fruits, vegetables and puree), but also hard (cereals). In the cage, you can fix sepia, chalk, tree bark and sticks, so that the parrot itself grinds the extra stratum corneum of the beak.

In the turtle's menu, an excess of calcium in the absence of calcium accelerates the growth of the beak, so we recommend making a diet after examination by a veterinarian. You can help the turtle by shortening its beak by replacing the soft sawdust litter with pebbles.

Why is it important to remove excess beak length?

Due to the increased growth of the beak, pets have problems with nutrition: a long part prevents them from taking food. A parrot cannot clean its feathers. The pet will try to adapt to new conditions, but his standard of living will deteriorate.

Contact our veterinary clinic in Kyiv to examine the pet and choose the appropriate food in consultation with a veterinarian. Has your pet's beak become unnaturally long? Do not try to shorten it yourself - you can hurt! The Animal Clinic specialist will professionally trim your pet's beak painlessly and safely.