Regular Electrolyte soaks?

[Staygold]

I came across an electrolyte soak for bearded dragons , it says to give them one soak a week with electrolytes to help with hydration and healthy skin. I am just wondering if one of her baths during the week has electrolytes, would it be beneficial to her. Or should electrolyte soak only be used if she is dehydrated?

And as a side question, I am assuming that you still have to use the reptisafe Water Conditioner with the electrolyte soak?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Is your dragon dehydrated?
Soaking them can be beneficial for them, especially if they drink from the bath. During the
winter, always be careful in bathing them as they can get chilled easily & develop respiratory
problems.
What type of electrolytes were you going to use? A lot of people use plain pedialyte mixed
with filtered water to bathe, so there isn't fluoride, etc in the water. Or you can use bottled
water too & just let your dragon drink that way, without using an electrolyte at all.

Tracie

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Health

 

[Staygold]

Hello,

Is your dragon dehydrated?
Soaking them can be beneficial for them, especially if they drink from the bath. During the
winter, always be careful in bathing them as they can get chilled easily & develop respiratory
problems.
What type of electrolytes were you going to use? A lot of people use plain pedialyte mixed
with filtered water to bathe, so there isn't fluoride, etc in the water. Or you can use bottled
water too & just let your dragon drink that way, without using an electrolyte at all.

Tracie

Hi. No, I don't think she is dehydrated, maybe a little because her skin is a little wrinkly, but I haven't had her long so do not know what is "normal". No, she does not drink out of the bath. As far as getting a chill in the winter...I bath her, then dry her off and stick her on her basking spot right away, should I cut down her baths for the winter?
It is the Zoo Med reptile electrolyte soak. I am just wondering if it would be beneficial to her to give her a regular electrolyte bath even if not dehydrated, just as part of her care routine.
For her drinking water I leave tap water on the counter for over 24 hours to de-chlorinate ( I was told to do this from the local reptile store when I asked if she has the water conditioner), and for her bath water I use the reptisafe water conditioner. She doesn't really drink alot, She has only taken water out of a dropper twice from me in over a month, but I do give her regular baths because of this.

 

[Claudiusx]

Hi there,

It's completely unnecessary for a healthy dragon. And, dragons do not absorb moisture/liquid through their vents or their skin anyways. So if your dragon didn't actually drink the bath water, it got none of the electrolytes either.

-Brandon

 

[Staygold]

Hi there,

It's completely unnecessary for a healthy dragon. And, dragons do not absorb moisture/liquid through their vents or their skin anyways. So if your dragon didn't actually drink the bath water, it got none of the electrolytes either.

-Brandon

Okay. Thank you. I thought they absorbed moisture through their vents but not through their skin. If that's the case I really need to figure out how to get her to drink water. She has only taken water from the dropper twice from me now.

 

[Claudiusx]

Nope, common myth
They do not absorb water through their vents, this has been laboratory tested.

-Brandon

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Keep trying with using the plastic dropper to get fluids into her. You can try diluting a juice
such as cranberry, grape or apple for some flavor for her.
They can have somewhat wrinkly skin but it shouldn't be in excess. Most of the time, the
skin should be relatively tight.

Tracie

 

[Staygold]

Nope, common myth
They do not absorb water through their vents, this has been laboratory tested.

-Brandon

Okay. Thank you. So I'm going to need to start force-feeding her water or force-feeding her her vegetables. How do you force feed a dragon, she will not open her mouth. And I don't want to stick my nail in there because I don't want to poke her gums or anything like that.

 

[Staygold]

Hello,

Keep trying with using the plastic dropper to get fluids into her. You can try diluting a juice
such as cranberry, grape or apple for some flavor for her.
They can have somewhat wrinkly skin but it shouldn't be in excess. Most of the time, the
skin should be relatively tight.

Tracie

Ok. Thank you. I don't think she's excessively wrinkly.

 

[JudiC]

They get enough moisture in greens and the veggies that are safe for them to eat. Remember, these are desert animals.

 

[ScrumpyKing09]

1. They are desert animals.
2. Will get lots of moisture from there leafy greens and Horn worms has lots of moisture for water etc.
If you live in the south where it hot or humid from outside can still put water dish in there enclosure, doubt they even drink it.
But keep an eye out on your humidity in your enclosure.
3. They could be wrinkly from shedding, my boy is like that and I bathe 1-2 times per or a week, seems to kinda helping..
I just dip my finger into the water and droplets on top of his nose and he will drink as well lick your finger tips.
Only way to know if there dehydrated, see if there stool is lathergy etc.
Something like loose stool so on, then you know there dehydrated.
I just bathe my boy with only warm baths and nothing in it using a soft toothbrush and gently brush him.
Why gently it because there skin is that super sensitive.
Do not be rough.
4. Please do not help them shed, leave them be or you will hurt them.
They can rub on there hammock, vines or logs etc.

 

[xp29]

Hi there,

It's completely unnecessary for a healthy dragon. And, dragons do not absorb moisture/liquid through their vents or their skin anyways. So if your dragon didn't actually drink the bath water, it got none of the electrolytes either.

-Brandon

Thank you for pointing that out, I have been pretty much preaching that for years, but i still hear people saying just soaking hydrates them. I hate misinformation it leads to poor care.