Think this might just be shed related??

So Spray is my first dragon so Im a liiiiittle overly cautious. And its 11 pm and I dont want to bug my vet haha. But I think Spray is starting to shed, his head is very grey and so are his arms. I witnessed him scratching his head along his viv today. Just noticed him puffing up his beard (no black beard) a couple times the other day, randomly. Hes allegedly 8 mos old (but honestly really small, i think his last owner stunted his growth) or younger than what I was told. Ive had him for about a mouth and this would be his first shed with me. But pretty classic signs of shed, right?

His appetite is great. Eats some veggies and worms in the morning, has his crickets when I get home, usually some more veg before lights out, that I hand feed him. My main concern for him is that hes SO grumpy! Normally hes really chill and docile. After he eats some crickets, i like to give him a few little strokes while hes basking, but lately he jumps back and gets irritated by it. After watching him rub his head all around, i wanted to check out his joints and arms (he came previously diagnosed with MBD, so im v paranoid about his joint strength which me and his vet agree is great! But i still doing passive range of motions with him everyday), he gave me the stink eye and pulled back so fast, so i left him be. Hes not hissing or trying to bite but very much wanting to be left alone.

His temps and lights are all good, i check multiple times a day. I just wanna make sure this recent grumpy turn is because the poor babe is uncomfortable. Naturally he HATES baths so is there anything else i can do in the mean time to help shedding?

Hi there, try not to get obsessed with his health and running to the vet. I know it's easier said than done, but just let him settle in. Shedding is not a problem, they always shed in uneven patches/stages and can look quite drastic but it's perfectly normal. I always share this pic to show that this is pretty common and will come off in it's own time .

https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/29897/full

This is one of many that I've owned in over 20 years. So there is nothing to worry about and no extra things you need to do to assist him . If the humidity is low in your house you CAN spritz him twice a day.

Can you post pics of Spray + also his set up ? Here's how :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload them

Welcome, and yes, please post some photos of him and his set-up! And yes, sounds just like classic signs and symptoms of normal shedding, and yes, they do get very, very grumpy while they're shedding.

Does he like a warm bath? If he does, soaking him for 15 minutes can help with the itching, if he doesn't like baths then you don't want to stress him out more, so just misting him in that instance is enough.

If he came to you with MBD, then yes, he's most likely stunted in size, that's very common with MBD, and it's all usually due to the owner using an inadequate UVB light. The good news is that he's still young and growing, so as long as you have him under a nice strong, hopefully T5 strength UVB tube for 13 hours a day or so, and you're giving him calcium 5 days a week and a multivitamin 2-3 days a week, then he can still grow quite a bit, and his bone density/mobility/muscle strength will also be much improved.

AHBD":mqu8km2j said:

Hi there, try not to get obsessed with his health and running to the vet. I know it's easier said than done, but just let him settle in. Shedding is not a problem, they always shed in uneven patches/stages and can look quite drastic but it's perfectly normal. I always share this pic to show that this is pretty common and will come off in it's own time .

https://www.beardeddragon.org/media/29897/full

This is one of many that I've owned in over 20 years. So there is nothing to worry about and no extra things you need to do to assist him . If the humidity is low in your house you CAN spritz him twice a day.

Can you post pics of Spray + also his set up ? Here's how :
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ Then use the XIMG to upload them

Click to expand...

So Im not concerned about the shedding itself, just the personality shift really. Well I was concerned by the head rubbing, since I havent seen that before!

But the only reason I mentioned the vet was because I actually work at a vet office, haha. I usually text my doctor with questions when Im unsure. Im very lucky to have her!

Since I am at work, I dont have any pics of his tank but I can describe it. Its a 40 gallon, with paper towels for substrate. His basking temps are 100-105, hot side is about 85-90, and cool side is about 70-75 measured with a heat gun. Im saving for a UVB tube, as right now I have a coil light. I know they arent good but he came to me with possible MBD and ZERO UVB light (just a red light, and sand for substrate!!) So my main priority has been to get him some kind of UVB. I should be ordering a tube soon. Hes very active, and alert. Just very grumpy as of late. He eats like a champ. Worms and greens/veggies in the morning, crickets at night and a couple hand fed treats. He gets crickets dusted 3 times a week and at least one salad dusted in calcium as Im worried about the MBD. And i should be getting a multivitamin for him soon too

Heres some recentish pics I have on Spray on my phone!




Im at work but let me know if you need further info!

EllenD":1bxzjrxj said:

Welcome, and yes, please post some photos of him and his set-up! And yes, sounds just like classic signs and symptoms of normal shedding, and yes, they do get very, very grumpy while they're shedding.

Does he like a warm bath? If he does, soaking him for 15 minutes can help with the itching, if he doesn't like baths then you don't want to stress him out more, so just misting him in that instance is enough.

If he came to you with MBD, then yes, he's most likely stunted in size, that's very common with MBD, and it's all usually due to the owner using an inadequate UVB light. The good news is that he's still young and growing, so as long as you have him under a nice strong, hopefully T5 strength UVB tube for 13 hours a day or so, and you're giving him calcium 5 days a week and a multivitamin 2-3 days a week, then he can still grow quite a bit, and his bone density/mobility/muscle strength will also be much improved.

Click to expand...

He hates baths, they make him even grumpier. I tried that for him tomorrow and he just got upset. So Ill probably just try to mist his little grumpy butt and see if that helps!

Despite the inadequate lighting hes had, probably his whole life, his joints are nice and strong. I work in a vets office (not HERP or reptile specialist but a Dr who loves beardies and educates herself about them) and my dr checked him out and said he seems strong. Im not 100 percent about the MBD since I dont have his record so Im dusting most of his food to be safe. I also do little passive ranges of motion with all his legs to keep them strong! I mentioned in my other post, I unfortunately have a coil UVB as I was concerned with just having SOMETHING. (as I thought he was coming with proper lighting, which he wasnt). Ill be ordering the tube with my tax refund soon

I posted some pictures that I had on my phone while Im at work. He definitely seems little to me but hes developing a nice lil belly and fat pads now that hes getting fed properly!