Dark V shaped mark on bearded dragon head.

[BuddyBeardedDragon]

So, when I woke up this morning I realised that Buddy ( my beardie) had a weird dark V shaped mark on his head. I was pretty worried. Then I gave him a bath and it seemed it came out more when he was stressed than relaxed. When he was relaxed, you could hardly see it. It was under his eyes , near his neck. If you feel a beardie around there you will feel two bones in an upside down v shape. There is where it was. Oddly, it dissappeared completely about an hour ago, but I still am very worried. Unfortunately, I do not have photos, due to the fact that it was only for about half an hour. The problem is, there are no vets near me to have a check up! I am not even sure they have a reptile vet in my province at all! What should I do? He does not seem affected at all though.

 

[ChileanTaco]

Could you take a photo when it appears the next time?
I think very much this is just his coloration - they can change color very much over some minutes or hours.
My Taco, for example, sometimes has dark spots on the neck and top of his head, and then a while after, they are completely gone and this area is one solid color where one could really think "spots? no way there can be spots!" and then they come back after a while.
Usually such dark markings can be seen when a dragon is stressed, or when he's just starting basking or just wakes up. When Taco sits half an hour or so under a basking lamp, the top of his head is one solid color, a light sand color. When waking up, or moving around on the ground, or otherwise not having been under the lamp for a long time, there are the dark spots. This is perfectly normal. What you mention also does not sound to me like something to worry.
As the coloration and markings of bearded dragons can differ from animal to animal, also the markings that appear and disappear can differ.

 

[BuddyBeardedDragon]

Thank you very

Could you take a photo when it appears the next time?
I think very much this is just his coloration - they can change color very much over some minutes or hours.
My Taco, for example, sometimes has dark spots on the neck and top of his head, and then a while after, they are completely gone and this area is one solid color where one could really think "spots? no way there can be spots!" and then they come back after a while.
Usually such dark markings can be seen when a dragon is stressed, or when he's just starting basking or just wakes up. When Taco sits half an hour or so under a basking lamp, the top of his head is one solid color, a light sand color. When waking up, or moving around on the ground, or otherwise not having been under the lamp for a long time, there are the dark spots. This is perfectly normal. What you mention also does not sound to me like something to worry.
As the coloration and markings of bearded dragons can differ from animal to animal, also the markings that appear and disappear can differ.

Thank you very much!

 

[ChileanTaco]

Here are for example two photos how the head color of my Taco differs:

https://www.beardeddragon.org/threads/taco-with-and-without-head-spots.269788/

The difference is really not through how it appears under a brighter light (effect of the camera or so), but he's really changing from with to without spots and back.
Instead of spots, it could also be other markings. He's also changing the color next to the ears very much. It can be a solid orange, or orange with little grey dots on top of it up to an amount the orange can barely be seen.
They do it for regulating their body temperature and for showing their mood.

 

[BuddyBeardedDragon]

Here are for example two photos how the head color of my Taco differs:

https://www.beardeddragon.org/threads/taco-with-and-without-head-spots.269788/

The difference is really not through how it appears under a brighter light (effect of the camera or so), but he's really changing from with to without spots and back.
Instead of spots, it could also be other markings. He's also changing the color next to the ears very much. It can be a solid orange, or orange with little grey dots on top of it up to an amount the orange can barely be seen.
They do it for regulating their body temperature and for showing their mood.

Look I have got pictures of him because it happened again:

 

[ChileanTaco]

Thanks for the images, and that's in my opinion just his individual color pattern

 

[AHBD]

It looks like the muscle/fat pads on his head are a bit sunken and now have an indentation.

 

[BuddyBeardedDragon]

It looks like the muscle/fat pads on his head are a bit sunken and now have an indentation.

And what can I do about that? It keeps on appearing and disappearing, though today it hasn't appeared yet.

 

[BuddyBeardedDragon]

And what can I do about that? It keeps on appearing and disappearing, though today it hasn't appeared yet.

OK, I am freaking out... There are no reptile vets in my area... Are mealworm beetles good for them? I am very confused, beacuse some say they are not and some say they are. Also, is it normal they have a slight indentation in their head? Because I see some on internet and they do have it... Please check on my profile the feeders i give him and see if I feed him anything incorrect. I can't have dubia roaches here. Please help! My bearded dragon has never been ill before!!!

 

[ChileanTaco]

I can't have dubia roaches here.

Can you get disk roaches? Usually in any region (country, state), some feeder roaches are allowed, but not everywhere the same species.
Or is the problem with the roaches that they are not possible because of your living situation (somebody is disgusted and won't allow you to have them)?

The mealworm beetles: They are fine, but most dragons don't like them as they smell. One normally feeds the larvae (worms) only.

 

[BuddyBeardedDragon]

Can you get disk roaches? Usually in any region (country, state), some feeder roaches are allowed, but not everywhere the same species.
Or is the problem with the roaches that they are not possible because of your living situation (somebody is disgusted and won't allow you to have them)?

The mealworm beetles: They are fine, but most dragons don't like them as they smell. One normally feeds the larvae (worms) only.

No, I can't have the roaches were I live. Also they disgust me more then the mealworm beetles. My bearded dragon is used to the mealworm beetle smell and he likes them even more than the worms themselves. He is hardly ever fussy. He loves all kinds of vegetables. So the mealworm beetles are ok for a feeder to bearded dragons, right? I am giving him some worms too now, just in case it IS muscle loss. However, I am pretty sure I feed him correctly. He eats all kind of veggies and I give him water from a syringe every week. He doesn't like fruit so I don't give him any. And he poops every 2-4 days.