Shed problem. Please help

[Gail]

Sometimes I forget how tiny hatchlings really are. His appetite should pick up more as he grows, I wouldn't worry about it right yet. The oddness about him is evident from the start, could be because he is small or because he just has a different look. Any chance he is part Rankins?
He sounds completely normal in behavior. How is his growth compared to his siblings? Keep working on his stubborn shed, sooner or later its bound to come off. Try a little olive oil rubbed into his skin.

 

[daner923]

@ TheGuvnor - you are incorrect on baths. A bearded dragon ABSOLUTELY needs baths far more often than a "few times a month." I can attest to that from personal experience - my beardie gets extremely dehydrated and has hard urates if I don't bath him at least twice a week, of not more. For a baby, they dehydrate even faster, and it is absolutely recommended around here to bathe them every 1-2 days until they have a higher body mass.

 

[KristineM]

Please bathe your baby every 1-2 days at this age. Earlier information was incorrect. I, too learned from personal experience and almost lost our baby due to dehydration. Also, it is recommended to keep your baby in the bath for at least 15-20 minutes, vent (butt) must be submerged as this is how they absorb water. My boy is just under 5 months and he is still bathed every day.

Just a suggestion: water should be up to elbows/shoulder possibly and the temp should be warm as if you are bathing an infant. You can even use a large bowl or rubbermaid container with a wash cloth underneath beardie for support/grip/security. Never look away, accident can happen. Pouring water down his back with a dixie cup was recommended to me and we still do that today as well. I also brought my boy home when he was only 2 weeks. PLEASE understand that hydration is VERY important to a baby and when just about ANY beardie is shedding and it looks like a tough one...daily baths are ALWAYS recommended. Yes, as a dragon gets older it is not necessary to bathe daily but I know even an adult dragon should be bathed AT LEAST weekly.

I don't know if it has been removed but you really don't need a water dish in his enclosure...MOST beardies won't ever drink from it and you wouldn't want humidity levels to raise too high.

My beardie has had some horrible sheds in the past and what I find works best is 100% cocoa butter (stick/solid form) and it can be found at grocery stores such as Whole Foods or maybe even Trader Joe's. I have a friend who just stummbled upon one at CVS. Read all ingredients. If it's 99%, that 1% best be water.

You can also use 100% pure aloe vera gel which I have also used in the past. Must be 100% NO ALCOHOL at all.

It is best to apply these at night on your baby right before lights out. Rub it in nice and gently/softly massage into skin. Overnight it will do its job and you can continue with daily baths as daner923 and I have both suggested. Sometimes we use a very soft baby toothbrush in a circular motion over his "trouble" areas while bathing him...our boy likes it as it must be so itchy

Their appetite and mood can decrease/change during shedding as well. He does look very small...but if you continue to feed him a good variety of live feeders (appropriately sized always) and fresh recommended (appropriate) veggies along with the calcium dusting of 1 live feeding per day 5x a week and multivitamin dusting 1 live feeding per day 2x a week (alternating days, of course) your baby should be fine.

My guy was tiny too...and the suggestions you are given here are usually given because we have either experienced it or made a mistake somewhere along the line.

Good luck to you and your baby. Please keep us updated!!

 

[PintoBeanDragon1000]

Thank you guys fir the help. I did know about the baths and such I bathe him very day. When had SunSun I bathed him every 2 days and he was 20 inches at the time and 8 months or so. Sakari really likes his bathes anyways he closes his eyes most of the time.

So when I got him he was the second largest in the whole enclosure. length wise and he looked a tiny bit plumper there were a few skinny ones that were being out competed for food when there was a bunch in there.They were separated and are now thriving
I will be seeing his sibilings some time this month since I am volunteering my friend who gave him to me is a domestic and wildlife rescue and I love going over there she has the coolest animals. She has an owl and squirrel at the moment as the wild animals she has the owl she is keeping because it wont ever be able to fly and her vet was going to put it down so she got her birds of prey license and has a nice large outdoor enclosure for him/her. Anyways way off topic.
His parents are weird combos if I could get you a good pic the light rings on his tail have a purple hue to them I think its kinda cool. He does resemble a Rankins.

So I do have good news. I noticed last night he looked lighter on his back this is what I found this morning.




So then I gave him a bath and because i have no spare tooth brushed because I had a 30 minute nose bleed and got blood on other people stuff and extra is now in use. I just rubbed him with my finger. This is after his bath, in this pic you can kinda see the purple hue.



This was from just a 20 minutes ago.




I literally just took this picture like 2 minutes ago.




More and more is coming off....SOOOOO happy its not going to be a lasting problem there is not smooth skin it looks the way it should. He is just grouchy and wants to not be touched. Getting him into the sink was a chore I had to cup my hand around him the put my shirt over my hand so he couldn't see because he jsut wanted to go and meet the rest of the gang which consists of 3 cats and 3 dog even though he has meet my cat and sat on her head.
Thanks again for all of your suggestions.

 

[Gail]

Well now that his skin has split, he looks normal lol. Maybe the skin was just really tight and it made his back look weird, he doesn't resemble a rankins anymore. He looks good and I bet his appetite improves once all the loose skin is gone.

 

[PintoBeanDragon1000]

I was just thinking maybe it was his skin. I am glad he doesn't look abnormal to you anymore he is just rolling around now trying to get his shed off.

 

[KristineM]

That's great news!!! Gorgeous baby!!!

 

[PintoBeanDragon1000]

thanks