I know it's normal for beardies to turn into real brats during shed, but is there anything I can do to help alleviate some of his discomfort?
My bigger juvenile has been a cranky @$$ for a couple days as he finishes his body shed. I gave him a bath two days ago and his shed started immediately that night; by the next day he had most of it off and today there's just small patches. He's been very active, rubbing all over the rocks in his viv and sitting for me to scratch some spots off. But today his color is DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARK and he keeps puffing up and making grouch displays. He can't seem to get comfortable. I put a shallow tupperware full of water inside his viv so he can take a bath if he wants (Nidhogg LOVES basking in his water dish), as I don't really want to handle him right now to take him out for a bath.
Is there anything else I can do, or just leave him be?
I would just leave him be. If there is a safe area out of the tank that has carpet that may help him scratch some of the shed off (don't help with this). If he seems to have a stuck bit of shed you could apply some plain aloe to the area. Generally speaking though, I don't advise interfering. They are uncomfortable but it's natural for them to shed and they're pretty good at it.
I would just leave him be. If there is a safe area out of the tank that has carpet that may help him scratch some of the shed off (don't help with this). If he seems to have a stuck bit of shed you could apply some plain aloe to the area. Generally speaking though, I don't advise interfering. They are uncomfortable but it's natural for them to shed and they're pretty good at it.
Thanks, I hadn't thought about Aloe vera. He's potato-caking in his water dish now (as flat as he can make himself lol!!), so I'll just leave him alone and see if that helps. It surprised me how much of a jerk he turned into so quickly! Poor guy.