How often should I bathe my baby dragon?

[Cheif]

Hey, not sure if This is the correct place to ask, If so then sorry I'm new. Just got my new baby beardie(6weeks old) 5 days ago and I've bathed it twice already, but when I tried last night it got pretty agitated towards me and that's the last thing I want. I think he's going through quite a bit of relocation stress so I'd like to avoid handling him in case it causes even more stress. Thanks in advance

 

[LewisBD]

Hey, not sure if This is the correct place to ask, If so then sorry I'm new. Just got my new baby beardie(6weeks old) 5 days ago and I've bathed it twice already, but when I tried last night it got pretty agitated towards me and that's the last thing I want. I think he's going through quite a bit of relocation stress so I'd like to avoid handling him in case it causes even more stress. Thanks in advance

Refrain from handling him and bathing him for a while, he's new and he needs to get used to his surroundings. Once he warms up to you, put him in the bath only if he's stinky, or he likes it, or if he's shedding. Any other reason will make him stressed. I actually kinda trained Lewis to go to the bathroom in the bath, so he goes in everyday until he gets older.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Twice in a week is way to often unless he needs it .

Only times a bearded dragon requires bathing are
>> when it's soiled itself
>> when it's got some stubborn shed on tail, limbs
>> when it's overheated (heatwave) to cool off
>> when it's impacted (helps sometimes)
>> when it needs a betadiene soak (open injuries).

That's it.
Now of the beardies drinks while in the bath or if it enjoys the bath (some do), it's OK to endulge the beardie.

 

[Cheif]

Refrain from handling him and bathing him for a while, he's new and he needs to get used to his surroundings. Once he warms up to you, put him in the bath only if he's stinky, or he likes it, or if he's shedding. Any other reason will make him stressed. I actually kinda trained Lewis to go to the bathroom in the bath, so he goes in everyday until he gets older.

How do I keep it hydrated then? I've put fresh water in everyday and plan to keep doing so. Do I spray it instead? It's just that I've read that beardies use baths to hydrate, but maybe I'm misinformed. How long should I refrain from handling? Cheers for the help!

 

[LewisBD]

Refrain from handling him and bathing him for a while, he's new and he needs to get used to his surroundings. Once he warms up to you, put him in the bath only if he's stinky, or he likes it, or if he's shedding. Any other reason will make him stressed. I actually kinda trained Lewis to go to the bathroom in the bath, so he goes in everyday until he gets older.

How do I keep it hydrated then? I've put fresh water in everyday and plan to keep doing so. Do I spray it instead? It's just that I've read that beardies use baths to hydrate, but maybe I'm misinformed. How long should I refrain from handling? Cheers for the help!

You can spray him if you want, or just put water droplets on his nose so he can lick it off. You can start handling him once he starts eating and pooing correctly and somewhat 'on schedule'. So about another 5 days or so. You can get him used to you by putting your hand in the cage often and letting him check it out and stuff.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Refrain from handling him and bathing him for a while, he's new and he needs to get used to his surroundings. Once he warms up to you, put him in the bath only if he's stinky, or he likes it, or if he's shedding. Any other reason will make him stressed. I actually kinda trained Lewis to go to the bathroom in the bath, so he goes in everyday until he gets older.

How do I keep it hydrated then? I've put fresh water in everyday and plan to keep doing so. Do I spray it instead? It's just that I've read that beardies use baths to hydrate, but maybe I'm misinformed. How long should I refrain from handling? Cheers for the help!

The only way to hydrate an bearded dragon in a bath is if it drinks while there,
>> they WILL NOT absorb moisture through their skin
>> they WILL NOT absorb moisture via their cloaca.

They get nearly all their hydration via their food .
So provide a good diet of live insects as a hatchling (3 times per day), supplemented with nice fresh high calcium greens offered daily .
This is sufficient unless it's REALLY HOT , then drip water on it's nose and if it's thirsty it will drink.

Handling is OK if the hatchling is calm when being picked up and not stressed by the experience or shows it's scared of you.
I restricted my handling to a bonding routine & ritual each day where I handfed the first few insects to my hatchlings each morning and when I needed to take them out of their rearing tubs to spot clean, recover uneaten insects (crickets). I slowly built up from that.

Very few hatchlings or even adult beardies will ever drink from a water dish, they are more likely to sit in the water to cool off, or deposit their poos in the water, this is why many beardie keepers don't have water dishes in their beardie's vivs, but the warmed water will tend to evaporate and increase viv relative humidity.

 

[Cheif]

Refrain from handling him and bathing him for a while, he's new and he needs to get used to his surroundings. Once he warms up to you, put him in the bath only if he's stinky, or he likes it, or if he's shedding. Any other reason will make him stressed. I actually kinda trained Lewis to go to the bathroom in the bath, so he goes in everyday until he gets older.

How do I keep it hydrated then? I've put fresh water in everyday and plan to keep doing so. Do I spray it instead? It's just that I've read that beardies use baths to hydrate, but maybe I'm misinformed. How long should I refrain from handling? Cheers for the help!

You can spray him if you want, or just put water droplets on his nose so he can lick it off. You can start handling him once he starts eating and pooing correctly and somewhat 'on schedule'. So about another 5 days or so. You can get him used to you by putting your hand in the cage often and letting him check it out and stuff.

Might try spraying him for the time being then. He seems to get quite nervous when I put my hand in so I'll start routinely putting it it and just resting it there once he settles in. Thanks

 

[Cheif]

Twice in a week is way to often unless he needs it .

Only times a bearded dragon requires bathing are
>> when it's soiled itself
>> when it's got some stubborn shed on tail, limbs
>> when it's overheated (heatwave) to cool off
>> when it's impacted (helps sometimes)
>> when it needs a betadiene soak (open injuries).

That's it.
Now of the beardies drinks while in the bath or if it enjoys the bath (some do), it's OK to endulge the beardie.

Don't think he drinks during the bath anyway. I'll leave off bath time until we bond a bit better, unless something in your list comes up. Thanks for the help

 

[Cheif]

Refrain from handling him and bathing him for a while, he's new and he needs to get used to his surroundings. Once he warms up to you, put him in the bath only if he's stinky, or he likes it, or if he's shedding. Any other reason will make him stressed. I actually kinda trained Lewis to go to the bathroom in the bath, so he goes in everyday until he gets older.

How do I keep it hydrated then? I've put fresh water in everyday and plan to keep doing so. Do I spray it instead? It's just that I've read that beardies use baths to hydrate, but maybe I'm misinformed. How long should I refrain from handling? Cheers for the help!

The only way to hydrate an bearded dragon in a bath is if it drinks while there,
>> they WILL NOT absorb moisture through their skin
>> they WILL NOT absorb moisture via their cloaca.

They get nearly all their hydration via their food .
So provide a good diet of live insects as a hatchling (3 times per day), supplemented with nice fresh high calcium greens offered daily .
This is sufficient unless it's REALLY HOT , then drip water on it's nose and if it's thirsty it will drink.

Handling is OK if the hatchling is calm when being picked up and not stressed by the experience or shows it's scared of you.
I restricted my handling to a bonding routine & ritual each day where I handfed the first few insects to my hatchlings each morning and when I needed to take them out of their rearing tubs to spot clean, recover uneaten insects (crickets). I slowly built up from that.

Very few hatchlings or even adult beardies will ever drink from a water dish, they are more likely to sit in the water to cool off, or deposit their poos in the water, this is why many beardie keepers don't have water dishes in their beardie's vivs, but the warmed water will tend to evaporate and increase viv relative humidity.

I guess I was misinformed then. I'll try come up with a binding routine by trying to feed him insects from my hand, if that fails then I might just let my hand rest in there and let him check it out in his own time. All this will be done once the relocation stress has somewhat subsided as I think he's a bit itimidated or scared of me right now. He's starting to eat his crickets again and I put fresh mixed veggies in everyday. Would you recommend taking the water bowl out? Thanks for all the help!

 

[kingofnobbys]

Refrain from handling him and bathing him for a while, he's new and he needs to get used to his surroundings. Once he warms up to you, put him in the bath only if he's stinky, or he likes it, or if he's shedding. Any other reason will make him stressed. I actually kinda trained Lewis to go to the bathroom in the bath, so he goes in everyday until he gets older.

How do I keep it hydrated then? I've put fresh water in everyday and plan to keep doing so. Do I spray it instead? It's just that I've read that beardies use baths to hydrate, but maybe I'm misinformed. How long should I refrain from handling? Cheers for the help!

The only way to hydrate an bearded dragon in a bath is if it drinks while there,
>> they WILL NOT absorb moisture through their skin
>> they WILL NOT absorb moisture via their cloaca.

They get nearly all their hydration via their food .
So provide a good diet of live insects as a hatchling (3 times per day), supplemented with nice fresh high calcium greens offered daily .
This is sufficient unless it's REALLY HOT , then drip water on it's nose and if it's thirsty it will drink.

Handling is OK if the hatchling is calm when being picked up and not stressed by the experience or shows it's scared of you.
I restricted my handling to a bonding routine & ritual each day where I handfed the first few insects to my hatchlings each morning and when I needed to take them out of their rearing tubs to spot clean, recover uneaten insects (crickets). I slowly built up from that.

Very few hatchlings or even adult beardies will ever drink from a water dish, they are more likely to sit in the water to cool off, or deposit their poos in the water, this is why many beardie keepers don't have water dishes in their beardie's vivs, but the warmed water will tend to evaporate and increase viv relative humidity.

I guess I was misinformed then. I'll try come up with a binding routine by trying to feed him insects from my hand, if that fails then I might just let my hand rest in there and let him check it out in his own time. All this will be done once the relocation stress has somewhat subsided as I think he's a bit itimidated or scared of me right now. He's starting to eat his crickets again and I put fresh mixed veggies in everyday. Would you recommend taking the water bowl out? Thanks for all the help!

Yep , not needed.

 

[AHBD]

I'd just like to add that offering water to babies is pretty important, especially just newly hatched + up to 2-3 months old. Not true that they get all they need from their food....I've raised many clutches of babies from the egg and every single one drank when sprayed. It's always best to use a spray bottle to gently spritz them with a direct gentle stream or drip it directly on their snout with a dropper or syringe. Newly hatched 2-3 day olds will lap it up nearly every day, as they get older they may do so less frequently but still regularly.

 

[kingofnobbys]

I'd just like to add that offering water to babies is pretty important, especially just newly hatched + up to 2-3 months old. Not true that they get all they need from their food....I've raised many clutches of babies from the egg and every single one drank when sprayed. It's always best to use a spray bottle to gently spritz them with a direct gentle stream or drip it directly on their snout with a dropper or syringe. Newly hatched 2-3 day olds will lap it up nearly every day, as they get older they may do so less frequently but still regularly.

Yes that's what I do.

I drip water on their noses .

 

[charmander16]

My dragon is about 10 months old now and has only had 2 baths. I've never dripped water on him or sprayed him and he doesn't have a water dish. His poops always contain plenty of water.

I do, however spray is veggies with 2 or 3 sprays from a water bottle every morning, though I'm not sure even that is needed, but I do it anyway just in case. When feeding him hornworms or cactus pads his poops will get even more watery.

Clearly they don't really need much in the way of extra water.

 

[AHBD]

That's good, you provide plenty of water on his veggies which many owners [ not myself ] have a hard time getting their beardies to eat. Plus hornworms are loaded with water, again not many owners feed their dragons those expensive bugs.

But to not offer water is a mistake, and to perpetuate that misconception can be dangerous.Since many do drink when sprayed, it should be offered as a option for the dragon. Some dragons that look healthy, of good weight are still dehydrated when seen by a vet, and extra hydration can aid in warding off kidney problems + gout.


A dragon that is not offered water is always more susceptible to dehydration, especially one that is not eating as well as they should be. And elderly dragons, like elderly people can also not be taking in the hydration they need.
Clearly, oral hydration is very important for many dragons, especially young ones and older ones.

 

[charmander16]

Yeah, my guy has always been good about eating veggies, just got lucky on that I guess.

He had a water bowl for a few months, but never used it (I've done several time lapses and seen that he never even went near the bowl).

I'd wager that the amount of water he gets from his misted veggies is more than what one would get from a drop on the nose. The amount sprayed onto the veggies is enough to fill the bottom of a cup. He doesn't eat all of them right away, but usually at least 1/3 get eaten right away, with others throughout the day. Typically none are left by the end of the day.

If your dragon doesn't eat veggies then I can see the need for other hydration options.