Bathing Frequency for baby beardies

[burntotears]

When they are babies and shedding quite rapidly, is there any negative effects to giving them a bath every day to help them shed easier? Or would that somehow be bad for them? I have seen people say every other day, which is fine too, but I feel bad when he's got shed just hanging off and it's not quite detached yet.

 

[Spunky]

My newb thoughts (and practice) is that if the beardie likes being handled and is not stressed out, daily baths are good. My little one is shedding right now and got a 20min bath Monday and then a 10min bath the next two days. She was overwelmed so I cut them short. (My 2 yo was around and sudden movements and shreaks make her nervous. We are working on the 2yo.)

 

[burntotears]

He doesn't seem stressed that I can tell. Sometimes he runs away from me in the enclosure when I try to pet him/pick him up, but for the most part he doesn't seem to get stressed too often. I held him in my palm yesterday for like almost 10 minutes and then he started to skitter all over me and I knew he was done so I put him back.

But I haven't seen him do anything stress-related that I've read about besides running away when he's not interested.

Granted he also doesn't seem to love the bath either, but it seems to be helping him out with the shedding. He just stands there in the water like he's the most miserable dragon in the world.

 

[Taterbug]

Keep in mind these are arid creatures. They've gone about shedding for millions of years with little access to standing water. Shedding is largely an internal process - - healthy hydrated lizard shouldn't need daily baths to shed, if he doesn't like them I wouldn't force the issue just make sure he is getting plenty to drink.

 

[burntotears]

I have a large water dish for him that he could bathe in, but I have never seen him get in it. That's not to say he doesn't (the water wasn't clear when I cleaned it yesterday, but I don't know if that was from him or crickets) so I worry he doesn't get enough hydration as it is.

 

[Taterbug]

I have a large water dish for him that he could bathe in, but I have never seen him get in it. That's not to say he doesn't (the water wasn't clear when I cleaned it yesterday, but I don't know if that was from him or crickets) so I worry he doesn't get enough hydration as it is.

I like the dripping method - I use a spray bottle or plastic eye dropper to dribble water on the snout, a thirsty dragon will lap it otherwise. Otherwise you get a stink eye :3

 

[CooperDragon]

I agree with Taterbug. Some of them like baths and some of them don't. If they don't it's not worth the stress of offering them. If the bugs are gutloaded and they're getting fresh veges then that should provide most of the hydration needed. Drops of water on the nose is how I offer extra hydration too and just leave it to them to lick it up or not. At this point I reserve baths to clean up a stinky dragon as needed.

 

[kingofnobbys]

I have lived in the natural range of central bearded dragons when I was working as for a mining company at their direct reduced iron plant, and the area can go for a decade or more without there being any standing or running surface water apart from at bores and artesian springs. These are very rare and usually very remote.

Wild bearded dragons can go their entire lives with out ever encountering running or standing water or heavy rainfall, ie over a decade. The only moisture they will encounter is from fogs and mists and the occasional show (when a degraded tropical cyclone passes) or from the herbs, fruit and flowers they eat or from the insects and other small animals they catch and eat.

Bathing a bearded dragon is not necessary unless :
-- it's soiled itself
-- it's too hot (and needs to cool)
-- it has an injury and requires a soak in a very weak butadiene solution
-- it's impacted (sometimes a luke warm soak will help get things moving)
-- it's in shed and has some stubburn shed on it's toes, feet or tail, bathing can soften and help this come off.
So bathing should be a very rare activity for a bearded dragon, none of my beardies have had a bath this year at all.

Bathing can be very stressful for a bearded dragon too, another reason to not force baths on your pet.

 

[Picklepies]

If your bearded likes a bath I see no reason not to. When my beardies out she always has a large do bowl of water, a towel, and a heat lamp set up on the floor. Shell run around a bit, jump in the bath, swim around a bit, jump out, run around getting the floor wet then sit under the lamp waiting for food if you're not sure if yours wants a bath you could always try offering one, see if they use it x

 

[burntotears]

Thanks everyone! I started trying the drip method and that seems to work. Also I saw him drink some of his bathwater the other day too.

I think I'm less worried about him now. It's hard to tell sometimes if they like the bath or not. He'll sit still for a while and then go to the edge of the tub and try to escape. If I place him back in the middle he'll chill again for a bit. It also seems to dull out all his dark stress marks after the bath as well, but they come back once he's back in the viv.

 

[gbgirl1705]

So does the bathing help with the shedding or is it just an option? I'm confused I was bathing my baby beardie daily because he sheds so often and it seems uncomfortable. He also hasn't pooped since I fed him superworms and I worry he's impacted. What's the general consensus? Does it help for their shedding to bathe them frequently?

 

[kingofnobbys]

So does the bathing help with the shedding or is it just an option? I'm confused I was bathing my baby beardie daily because he sheds so often and it seems uncomfortable. He also hasn't pooped since I fed him superworms and I worry he's impacted. What's the general consensus? Does it help for their shedding to bathe them frequently?

It can definitely help with shedding.

 

[AHBD]

Bathing can help, but I'm also like the others here that for the most part, only bathe a dirty dragon to clean them. To help with shedding you can spritz the dragon in his enclosure twice a day....not a heavy mist of water that covers everything, but a quick few spray blasts. Somehow beardie owners feel that shedding is a terrible, uncomfortable process. It's not....it's totally natural and beardies are generally fine without our assistance. They rub their bodies along the logs + cage decor that are in the enclosure to help scrape the skin off . Some sheds looks very unusual but that's just the way they are.

Having said that, I agree that if a beardie likes being soaked, a 10 minute soak every few days is fine and may actually add enjoyment to the little bugga's life.

 

[LaGG]

I agree with Taterbug. Some of them like baths and some of them don't. If they don't it's not worth the stress of offering them. If the bugs are gutloaded and they're getting fresh veges then that should provide most of the hydration needed. Drops of water on the nose is how I offer extra hydration too and just leave it to them to lick it up or not. At this point I reserve baths to clean up a stinky dragon as needed.

I have a new baby beardie ... gave her first bath tonight, I used the water bowl that she doesn't know how to drink out of, filled with warm water ... at first she jumped out like a scalded dog!! But after a few tries she just kind of stood in it and relaxed ... when she jumped out the last time she let me rub the sides of her face and body where there was dry, shedding skin ... she actually started standing firm as if to press against my finger while I was rubbing her ... she's the coolest thing to come into my life in a very long time !!

Good luck with future baths