1st Bath

[LittleOne2321]

So Draco Phoenix started shedding today for the first time since we got him 2 weeks ago. I'm excited, because he seems to be somewhat of a runt. He is 6 or 7 months old, and he's about 10 inches. He's in a new, bigger cage, so I think that might have helped. Anywho, I decided to give him a bath for what I think is the first time in his life. I used a plastic tote (that I usually use for storage) that was clean. I followed people's instructions on here, making the water warm, but not hot, and making it only reach halfway up his legs.

Unfortunately, he fought me the entire way. He just did not seem to want to get in the water. Once I finally got him in there, he didn't move for a few minutes. His beard didn't go black, but he got pretty flat, but he kept his head above the water. Finally, he pooped and then started to try to climb out. Is this normal for a first bath? Is there any way to make him more comfortable?

 

[noola]

Hi my baby did the exact same thing ,he hated it then pooped too . i think it will just take time . Although i dont think they really need it unless need help shedding like yours.

 

[catUK]

mine was really wriggly the first time i gave him a bath. He's since got used to it but somedays he'll seem to enjoy and other days he doesn't. They make themselves flat so they are more boyant. If you have something you can put in that he can climb anto it will make him feel more secure e.g. a branch or something.

 

[LittleOne2321]

Thanks, guys. I was just hoping I wasn't making him really angry, or something. I had a rock in there for him, but it was kinda big, and he wouldn't get off of it to go in the water. I'm glad to hear that they make themselves flat for bouyancy. He's only shedding right now on his beard, but I'm hoping to move it along quickly.

 

[diamc]

Hi, I wanted to add a few suggestions to see if we can help your beardie to enjoy the baths more. They seem more relaxed in a transparent plastic container so if you're not using that now, you might want to try it. Also, instead of adding enough water to cover his front legs as that will help keep him warmer. Test the water by the inside of your wrist, it should feel like it would for a baby. Putting a washcloth or small towel down in the sink or container helps them feel more secure because they have something to grip on to. If you put your hand in the water, he will hang onto it if he feels the need and it also helps with the bonding process. Hopefully these ideas will make a difference to him.

Your beardie seems quite small for 6 to 7 mo old, are you sure he isn't 3 or 4 mo old instead?

 

[ReptileGuardian]

My beardie is a month old, and i've given him 3 baths so far cuz he's shedding. his first he was not a happy camper but now he sits in it for five minutes then starts to want out. also i recommend putting a washcloth on the bottom of the bin, the stress of not being able to get any movement on their own makes taking baths for them very scary and stressful. just thought i'd throw my experience in here.

 

[LittleOne2321]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try the washcloth idea next time. The container I'm using is transparent, and it's almost as big as our regular tub. We were told that he was born in April, and it's October now. He was kept in a really small tank, which makes me think that's why he didn't grow. We got him a bigger one, and he started shedding just a few days after that. He was also really skinny when we got him, but we've fattened him up quite a bit.

 

[jms79]

Hello all,
My Thorn like the first bath I gave him(since that point I believe he is a she :roll: ) after that first bath she hated them, no matter what I did it was a fight!!! I put in a wash cloth she hated it and pooped on it , I put in a hand towel she hated that and pooped on that , I took her and put her in the big bath tub, guess what she did then? yep pooped, but this time 3 times in a row and hated it also :shock: I even tried putting my hand in the bath so she could rest of that, lucky she didn't poop on me, but always tried climbing up my arm to get out of the bath so it was a battle from the begining to the end with a lot of stink eye looks at me. I figured I would get some points for being the one that rescued her at the end. :headbang: So I just figured I had a beardie that hated baths and just delt with it. I just made a beardie hamock with that clear plastic mesh that is used for some sort of needle work. I had half of a sheet left and I had an idea! :laughing6: I put the clear plastic mesh down on the sink bottom and put Thorn on top she loved it!!! First time in over 2 months of bathing her every other day that I saw her drink, saw her swim and enjoy the bath!!! So long story short give that a try, the mesh for the beardie hamocks can usually be bought at an arts and craft store. I had about a foot by two feet sheet and it was only $.99 so pretty cheap.

 

[catUK]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try the washcloth idea next time. The container I'm using is transparent, and it's almost as big as our regular tub. We were told that he was born in April, and it's October now. He was kept in a really small tank, which makes me think that's why he didn't grow. We got him a bigger one, and he started shedding just a few days after that. He was also really skinny when we got him, but we've fattened him up quite a bit.

My beardie is small for her age too (smallest of hatch) and also born in april. She was 10 inches in sept and is now 14 inches- i wouldn't be surprised if yours had a growth spurt sometime soon too.

(know this is still about the baths but thought i'd comment about the size as we were in the same boat)