Is my baby dragon dehydrated?

So i have recently gotten a bearded dragon (a crimson leatherback, might be translucent) and i’m really worried (though i’m not sure if its just paranoia!) about him. i was told it’s three month old. His tank is a 45 gallon I have a 90 watt halogen flood light for a heat light and a coil bulb for a UVB bulb. i plan to switch the coil out for a 10.0 reptisun tube light after learning that it can cause eye problems. The hot side of the tank is around 95 and his basking spot is around 107. The cool side is in the high 70s. I feed my dragon 6-10 small crickets a day, gutloaded with calcium and cricket quencher. He gets kale and basil and carrots everyday, though he doesn’t eat them.

I think he might be dehydrated? i’m a new beardie owner and i’m not sure what to look for. His skin is a bit wrinkled but his poop is completely normal, a good portion of it is the chalk-like urine. I’ve been bathing him regularly in hopes it will fix that? He’s also been closing his eyes while basking. Sometimes it’s both and sometimes it’s just one. He’s eating normally and gets up to catch crickets just fine. he’s not lethargic at all. Sometimes when i see the wrinkles, i can also see and feel his ribs. is that normal or is he underweight? Could it be because his belly is translucent? I’ve done so much research but i just cant seem to put my finger on it

I use a plastic eye dropper to give mine water. Just a drop or 2 to start. Then he will start lapping it up.

Terry15":3t1h88bx said:

I use a plastic eye dropper to give mine water. Just a drop or 2 to start. Then he will start lapping it up.

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Could it be that he’s underweight?

He can probably get most of the hydration he needs from food. You can supplement by dripping water on his nose to lick up if suggested but if he isn't interested then he is probably fine. Their skin is loose so they can flare out and change shape to bask so I don't find that a good indicator. If his poop looks well formed and isn't dry/chalky then his hydration level is probably fine.

When you upgrade from that compact UVB light, I highly recommend moving to a T5 tube ( 22'' version is long enough) for a tank that size. It should sit 12-14'' above the main basking area for best results.

Hi there, they can also look wrinkly if they are not fed enough as babies [ it's fine as adults as long as the legs + tail are plump ] Your baby needs at least 3X the amount of food daily, so try at least one more feeding session per day. And babies generally do require more hydration so the dripping on the snout or with a spray bottle [ I did for 20 years worth of babies I raised ] will help out greatly.

AHBD":2i1wr8nc said:

Hi there, they can also look wrinkly if they are not fed enough as babies [ it's fine as adults as long as the legs + tail are plump ] Your baby needs at least 3X the amount of food daily, so try at least one more feeding session per day. And babies generally do require more hydration so the dripping on the snout or with a spray bottle [ I did for 20 years worth of babies I raised ] will help out greatly.

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Do you think i need to feed more crickets a day? if so, how many do you reccomend?

Ideally feed as many as they'll eat in 10 to 15 mins 3 times a day. Mine will only drink if I dip my finger in her water then she'll lick it off. Very fussy drinker