questions on shedding.

[Bwalter]

My baby is about 2 months old, I have had him for 2 weeks now and over the last week is really putting on the weight and eating good. I have noticed the last couple of days his tail from tip going up is gray, kind of dark and getting lighter towards his body, same with his legs, gray, dark getting lighter up his legs. Looks like he might be getting ready to shed? This is the first beardie for me and have been reading a little on shedding so if I can get some advice from all of you about it. Not sure about giving him a bath with helping him, he is very fast and hard to catch and I am afraid of hurting him because he is so small. He will let me pet him and rub him but takes off when I try to pick him up. How can I help him through this when he is such a little booger, by the way is his name. Becky

 

[zillathakilla]

Well heres my advice to all the new bearded dragon owners out there: Always support all of their limbs while you pick them up!they may squirm, but once you have them they will settle,keep both hands on them as not to let them jump anywhere above 2 feet,if your sitting on the ground then this rule doesn't necessarily apply..LOL (Zilla just dug himself into my arm to sleep,SO CUTE but hard to type) anyways,also for the baths,once you have him securely in your hands. Put him in the bathtub/sink,run the water luke-warm,like your washing a baby, up to shoulder level only,maybe a little less. Soak him for 10-15 mins,refill with warm water if it gets cold/they poop. 85% of the time they will poop ! It sounds like hes about to shed so bathe him 4-5 times a week till his shed is over,3 would be okay as well! If you have any questions PM me or post in this thread.

Hope that helps,Myles.

 

[Bwalter]

thank you for replying. I will try to give him a bath tomorrow after work. It will be quite the adventure for sure, Becky

 

[zillathakilla]

No worries!it helped another friend who was having a hard time picking up their beardie

 

[mommabrick20]

Hi! I have a baby about the same age. When he went through his first shed he loved soaking. I would bathe him as much as he would let me. And within a week he was done and happy again. Towards the middle he got a little stressed. Mine is going through his second shed right now. And he is acting the same. Keep a bowl of water under the heat lamp and he might soak in it all day like mine.

 

[zillathakilla]

Thats a good idea...but make sure to watch your humidity levels! anything over 50% is not good

 

[Bwalter]

I do keep a water dish on the cool side of the tank, but just enough water to cover the bottom. I have seen him in it drinnking before.
Thanks for all the information, hopefully he will like it once I get him in the sink, I will also put a wash cloth in there to.

 

[zillathakilla]

Keep us posted!

 

[mommabrick20]

the reason i put mine under the lamp is because if its cold water they want nothing to do with it. nice and warm. my older beardie was the same way.

 

[mommabrick20]

the reason i put mine under the lamp is because if its cold water they want nothing to do with it. nice and warm. my older beardie was the same way.

 

[zillathakilla]

Hmm... Maybe I'll try this on the weekend, or when I get home even!

 

[Bwalter]

Bath time tonight wasn't bad. Took a few minutes to catch him, Took all the things out of his tank, needed to clean it any ways. Put him in the sink on a wash rag, then added water from a cup, so not to get to much in there. He was trying to climb the sides so I put him on my finger and he held on and put him in the water. Needless to say he wasn't much on a bath but wasn't bad either, He was happy to get back up on his branch after the bath. he is off to dream land now.

 

[zillathakilla]

Awe thats good!sounds like your making progress!i always take zilla out before he goes to bed,and when i do he'll either climb up my chest and sleep under my neck or he'll squirm under/into a blanket or pillow lmao!

 

[Bwalter]

Maybe I need to take him out before bed time. Maybe he won't have so much energy? I did have him out once and had him on my arm sleeping, then he got up ran up my shoulder onto the pillow and fell off the back of the bed, I thought I killed him, but he was fine, I kept an eye on him for a while to make sure he was alright. I guess I might wait til he is a little bigger before I take him out again. I am so afraid of hurting him because he is so little.

 

[zillathakilla]

Haha don't worry,their pretty tough,i had zilla out one day and i was sitting on a chair and he jumped out of my hand like 2-3ft and went smack and i was like omg theirs no way he could have survived it! but he did,and last week he jumped out of my hand while putting him in his cage 3-4ft and black bearded me for like 10 minutes but hes okay,to say the least their very tough,but you shouldn't let them jump if u can,maybe invest in a repti-leash and put him in it when you take him out to play! i regret to say i never took zilla out much when he was younger for the same reason,but he will still cuddle up with me at night and he will stick with me all day if i have him out, so just take him out as much as your comfortable with,and keep him close to the ground hope this helps!