First Shed

[PogoLover]

I know I am posting a lot as a nervous new beardie mommy, but I want to do right by my new baby. I finally made peace with the fact that he won't eat a lot (I have had him for 6 days and he is about 2 months old), probably due to stress of moving.

Now he has just started shedding! His tail and part of his head had gone a dull-ish color, so I suspected that he might be beginning a shed. Today the front part of his jaw line and nose began to peel off (and it is clearly shed - healthy new scales underneath and the skin coming off is dried up, etc.). I had noticed him rubbing his chin on his rocks a couple of days ago - so I am glad to see the actual shedding happening.

Here is the question - he is already stressed from moving and has a low appetite - should I give him the warm bath every day or two to help him shed, or do you think that would be more stressful and make everything worse? He is not skittish - he falls asleep on a piece of felt on either me or my son every night at lights out. Any other advice about shedding? I am sure he has shed before, but this is the first time since I have had him and I heard that shedding is really bothersome to them when they are young because they are not used to it yet.

 

[AHBD]

Does he generally like or dislike a bath ? It's O.K to soak him if you like or you could spritz him in his tank a couple times a day. Shedding is not very uncomfortable for them, just slightly so but enough to make them a bit less friendly at times. He'll do just fine.....you'll probably see him scratch his head at times with his back leg and rub himself against his cage furniture. Always let the skin come on it's own, never pull, and if you see a toe or tail tip looking like the shed is retained [ which is not really common ] you can keep some plain pure aloe gel on hand to apply.

 

[PogoLover]

Does he generally like or dislike a bath ? It's O.K to soak him if you like or you could spritz him in his tank a couple times a day. Shedding is not very uncomfortable for them, just slightly so but enough to make them a bit less friendly at times. He'll do just fine.....you'll probably see him scratch his head at times with his back leg and rub himself against his cage furniture. Always let the skin come on it's own, never pull, and if you see a toe or tail tip looking like the shed is retained [ which is not really common ] you can keep some plain pure aloe gel on hand to apply.

Thank you! I think he likes baths. He sits in them and drinks the water first and then, after about 5 mins or so, he is done with it and he scratches at the side of the small plastic bin that we bathe him in until we let him out. Bath temp (which I check with a temp gun because I am paranoid) starts at about 100F and I don't let it cool to below 90 before he is either done or I refresh the warm. I will definitely keep doing it to help him shed. He is scratching himself on anything scratchy - I thought he was going paralyzed until I realized he was just pulling his body along a scratchy surface. He stood right up when he was done.