UHG...Let me guess, this was an "Exotics" Vet?
Total myth, 100% false, please do not soak your Dragon. Not only do they not absorb ANY water or
hydration through their vents or their skin, as the internet myths go, but all you are doing is totally and completely stressing your Dragon out, because him trying to climb out and escape is a huge indication that he hates the
bath, and YOU'RE MAKING HIM WORSE!!!
Dragon's do not handle stress well at all, and it impacts their physical health a lot. The only time a Dragon needs a
bath is when they get dirty or smell. That's it. Most Dragons hate baths and will not actively drink the
bath water through their mouths, and in these cases, which sounds exactly like your Dragon, they should not get a
bath more than once a week or when they are dirty. That's it, please stop trying to soak him, it's not
hydrating him one bit and you're just making him worse and worse...
Bearded Dragons only absorb
hydration the same way we do...THROUGH THEIR MOUTHS! They have the exact same GI Tract set-up and Renal System set-up that we do. The idea that they can absorb water through their vents or their skin (both are myths) and this actually gets
hydration into their bloodstream is totally absurd and ridiculous based on their anatomy and physiology.
Let's explain this another way that should make complete sense to you: The only place on earth that Bearded Dragons come from naturally are the deserts of Australia, and only specific deserts in Australia...WHICH CONTAIN LITTLE TO NO STANDING WATER AT ALL!!! This is the reason that Dragons don't typically drink water out of a
bath or a bowl, because they have absolutely no concept of standing water!!! They don't know enough to drink standing water through their mouths unless they are shown/trained to do so. WILD DRAGONS IN THE DESERT GET MOST ALL OF THEIR
HYDRATION FROM THE LIVE INSECTS/ANIMALS AND FRESH VEGETATION THAT THEY EAT. PERIOD. THAT'S IT....So if they could actually absorb
hydration through their vents or skin by simply soaking in standing water, don't ya think that they'd live naturally somewhere where there was standing water, or that they would seek out standing water to soak in? Yeah, think about that for a minute...
I'm sorry, but you need to find a new Reptile Vet, please do not go back to that one, they obviously have not a clue what they are talking about at all. And unfortunately this is the norm. Board-Certified Reptile Vets and Reptile Specialist Vets are very, very few and far between in the United States, and probably 90% of the vets that will treat reptiles are "Exotics" Vets...do you know what that means in the US? What an "Exotics" Vet means in the US? Nothing at all, that's what...
In the United States the term "Exotics" Vet is simply a label that VETS GIVE THEMSELVES AS SOON AS THEY GRADUATE FROM VETERINARY MEDICAL SCHOOL AND PASS THEIR STATE LICENSING EXAM. They are nothing more than a General Vet that "Is Willing To See" animals other than dogs and cats. That's all they are, that's all the label means. In-general most all of them have NO additional education, training, or experience in treating any pets other than dogs and cats, and what little they learn in Veterinary Medical School about the anatomy and physiology of reptiles, amphibians, birds, rodents, livestock, etc. That's how Vet School is set up in the US. They learn intricate details of diagnosing and treating dogs and cats (and some schools also have special emphasis tracks in livestock/farm medicine)...If a vet wants to actually specialize in one particular type of pet, they have to take it upon themselves to enroll in either a Fellowship or an Internship/Residency that allows them to study and train under a Board-Certified Avian Vet, Reptile Vet, etc. But an "Exotics" Vet or "Exotics" Animal Hospital is nothing more than a General Vet or a group of General Vets that want to treat as many animals as possible and make as much money as possible. The vet you saw probably saw a parrot right before he saw your Dragon, and after that he probably treated a Sugar Glider. And you really found a Vet who knows absolutely nothing at all about Dragons if he actually told you that they absorb
hydration through their vents. That's really, really bad.
Did this vet ask you any questions at all about your husbandry and/or daily diet and supplementation schedule?
******First of all, if you ever think that your Dragon is dehydrated, which he definitely is if he has stopped eating his live insects and/or fresh greens/veggies, then you need to get water and/or unflavored Pedialyte into him THROUGH HIS MOUTH. You do this by using either an eyedropper or an Oral Syringe and dripping water on his snout, letting it roll down over his lips for him to lick off. Then drip again, lick, drip, lick, drip, etc. and give him as much water as he wants, until he stops licking it off or he moves away. And you should do this several times throughout the day, at least 3-4 times every day that he doesn't eat any live insects or fresh greens/veggies.
*******That being said, usually (9 times out of 10) when a Dragon loses his appetite and also becomes very lethargic, this is due to him getting inadequate
UVB light, inadequate temperature zones, or both. This is why I asked you if this Vet asked you questions about your tank husbandry, his daily diet, or supplementation schedule, as I'm willing to bet that the cause of this is husbandry/diet related, and if you don't get it corrected it's only going to get worse and worse. If a Bearded Dragon doesn't get 13-14 hours under an adequate, strong UVB tube that is correctly mounted and at the correct distance from his Basking Spot/Platform (dependent upon exactly what
UVB light you have), along with the same amount of time under a bright-white colored Basking Bulb, and within 3 correct temperature zones, specifically his Basking Spot Surface Temperature as measured with either a Temperature Gun or a Digital Probe Thermometer, they cannot absorb ANY of the Calcium they are ingesting in their food or in the Calcium and Multivitamin powders you give him, he'll just excrete all the Calcium (as well as other necessary nutrition) out with his bowel movements...
My suggestion is that you post some photos of your Dragon and of his entire tank/enclosure that also show how you have his lighting set up over the tank. Then you give us a run-down on EXACTLY what
UVB light you have, what Basking Bulb you have, the substrate you have in his tank, what type of thermometer you use to measure his temperature zones, and what the temperatures of those zones are, along with what his regular, daily diet is, and how often you give him a Calcium supplement and a Multivitamin supplement....I can almost assure you that the reason he has lost his appetite and has become lethargic is located within your answers to these questions. Better you get it fixed now before MBD causes any permanent damage.