Why does my bearded dragon hate baths

Hi i have a bearded dragon named gizmo.He is about 6-7 months old and he hates baths.I even got him a foot bath that is used for humans but put him in instead and turned on the vibraters and bubbles in the tub but he still always jumps out of it, and I don't know what to do.He also hates the Beardie burrito and always wiggle out of it when i try to snuggle him up with a warm towel, and I just need some advice on what to do, or if maybe I am doing something wrong.
 

IAmAMirage

Juvie Member
Beardie name(s)
Mirage
Hi i have a bearded dragon named gizmo.He is about 6-7 months old and he hates baths.I even got him a foot bath that is used for humans but put him in instead and turned on the vibraters and bubbles in the tub but he still always jumps out of it, and I don't know what to do.He also hates the Beardie burrito and always wiggle out of it when i try to snuggle him up with a warm towel, and I just need some advice on what to do, or if maybe I am doing something wrong.
All beardies are different, so it's okay if Gizmo doesn't like those. If I had to guess, the vibraters and bubbles are stressing him out. As for the beardie burrito, my boy Mirage doesn't like it either. He instead prefers having a warm towel draped over him. That way he can still move around. Hope this helps!
 

xp29

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Beardie name(s)
Ruby, Sinatra, Zsa Zsa
Yes but I got the vibraters after i tried the sink which was just nothing but water and he hated that too
Standing water is uncommon where beardies come from and they generally don't understand it. The ONLY reason to ever give a bath is if they are dirty (tracked through poop ect). Some beardies will drink in a bath most won't.
If you give a bath make sure the water is shallow. Lizards use the same muscle group to walk and to breathe, they can't do both at once. So if they can't stand up and get out of the water drowning is a huge possibility. If they are swimming, they ARE NOT breathing.
Aspiration can happen in an instant, it happened to one of mine with me standing there.
Now if mine need to be washed I do so under a running faucet.
If you're trying to hydrate, soaks will not do so. They have to drink the water to get hydration. Using an eyedropper to drip it on their snout is the safest and easiest way to hydrate them. Even like that go slow and never force it. If your beardie is lapping the water stop every few seconds and let it catch it's breath.
 

ChileanTaco

Sub-Adult Member
Beardie name(s)
Taco
@xp29
I agree very much! For that reason, I had never given my dragon a bath (he has never been dirty - neither poop nor something else*).
He also generally hates water - when I water the plants in his enclosure, he goes away, or closes his eyes even if he's so far away from the plants no drop would reach him.


* I am really (!) amazed how clean he is. Since he was little, poops always at the same spot and avoids this spot otherwise; when he's done with pooping he walks away with the tail tilted towards one side and stretched legs to not track through it. But I'm aware not all dragons handle their "business" like that.
 

xp29

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Beardie name(s)
Ruby, Sinatra, Zsa Zsa
Thank you so much but believe it or not you guys are the first person I have every heard that general does not recommend bathing your bearded dragon
Yeah, unless they actually drink water in the bath there just isn't a need. Most hate it and get stressed. I've only ever had one that liked water.
And even if they do drink in the bath, there's always the chance of them getting it into their lungs, it really is dangerous.
 

ChileanTaco

Sub-Adult Member
Beardie name(s)
Taco
@xp29
Exactly, that's why I'm not giving baths to my beardie.
In case he would get dirty, I would first try to make only that body part wet, if that already gets the job done, and only if this doesn't work try the bath.
 

xp29

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Beardie name(s)
Ruby, Sinatra, Zsa Zsa
@xp29
Exactly, that's why I'm not giving baths to my beardie.
In case he would get dirty, I would first try to make only that body part wet, if that already gets the job done, and only if this doesn't work try the bath.
If mine need to be washed, I hold them in my hand and use a faucet to wash them that way. I never put mine in standing water any more. It much safer that way.
 

lilith13

Member
Hi i have a bearded dragon named gizmo.He is about 6-7 months old and he hates baths.I even got him a foot bath that is used for humans but put him in instead and turned on the vibraters and bubbles in the tub but he still always jumps out of it, and I don't know what to do.He also hates the Beardie burrito and always wiggle out of it when i try to snuggle him up with a warm towel, and I just need some advice on what to do, or if maybe I am doing something wrong.
Clapton does not like the baths! He will frantically try to climb out of the sink, and his feet slip but he keeps at it till he can get out. So, then I feel bad like I'm doing something bad to him. My other dragon was all about bathtime. Sometimes he would sit in his water dish, we called it "having a spa day". Clapton wants none of it, though. I'm interested to read everyone's response to this post.
 

lilith13

Member
Standing water is uncommon where beardies come from and they generally don't understand it. The ONLY reason to ever give a bath is if they are dirty (tracked through poop ect). Some beardies will drink in a bath most won't.
If you give a bath make sure the water is shallow. Lizards use the same muscle group to walk and to breathe, they can't do both at once. So if they can't stand up and get out of the water drowning is a huge possibility. If they are swimming, they ARE NOT breathing.
Aspiration can happen in an instant, it happened to one of mine with me standing there.
Now if mine need to be washed I do so under a running faucet.
If you're trying to hydrate, soaks will not do so. They have to drink the water to get hydration. Using an eyedropper to drip it on their snout is the safest and easiest way to hydrate them. Even like that go slow and never force it. If your beardie is lapping the water stop every few seconds and let it catch it's breath.
"If they are swimming, they ARE NOT breathing." Wait what? I see lots of videos of beardies swimming around! Are they just fake or are these dragons being harmed?
I get concerned about hydration as well. I saw Clapton drink water once when I first got him. I was mystified because Quagmire didn't do that. But I don't think Clapton drinks his water anymore. As far as I can tell he hasn't done it again. And he didn't seem fond of my using a straw or dropper, or the spritzer, for that matter.
 

xp29

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Beardie name(s)
Ruby, Sinatra, Zsa Zsa
"If they are swimming, they ARE NOT breathing." Wait what? I see lots of videos of beardies swimming around! Are they just fake or are these dragons being harmed?
I get concerned about hydration as well. I saw Clapton drink water once when I first got him. I was mystified because Quagmire didn't do that. But I don't think Clapton drinks his water anymore. As far as I can tell he hasn't done it again. And he didn't seem fond of my using a straw or dropper, or the spritzer, for that matter.
The videos are unfortunately real. Beardies absolutely can swim, but they CAN NOT breathe while doing so. It's insanely dangerous for them if they can't reach the bottom to stand up. Unless there is a very necessary reason I will never put a beardie in a bath again. I.E. need to soak a sperm plug. Even then my hand will be under the chest the whole time.
 

ChileanTaco

Sub-Adult Member
Beardie name(s)
Taco
"If they are swimming, they ARE NOT breathing." Wait what? I see lots of videos of beardies swimming around! Are they just fake or are these dragons being harmed?
They can swim. It is not fake. They have to hold their breath however while doing so.
Also, dragons cannot run and breath at the same time - no problem there, as they simply run a short distance, wait, breathe, run more. In deep water, they however cannot pause.
Also, as dragons do not know how to deal with water, even water they can stand in can be dangerous, e.g.: Out of curiosity, they put their face under water, continue to breathe.

For this reason, I don't give my dragon a bath. If it ever would be necessary to clean him up, I would do so while holding him.
(His sperm plugs are fine, he rubs them off very well on rough surfaces in the enclosure. Also my dragon does not walk through poop. However, it could happen that he nevertheless gets dirty - and for that I have a plan, means, already keep in mind,that I would not give him a bath.)
I get concerned about hydration as well.
Are their poops looking okay? If not, giving extra can be done. Dragons normally get enough water from their food, and as they don't sweat, their loss of water is quite low. (My dragon has normal soft poops - no diarrhea, but soft, not crumbly, no constipation - and thus I'm not giving him water. I dropped tiny amounts of water on his snout sometimes while he was a baby to juvenile. He can, however, if he likes, lick off water from plants in his enclosure I water/ spray.)
 

Bearded dragon lover

Member
Original Poster
bro my bearded dragon skin is really wrinkly and he does not drink from his water bowl I even try putting drops of water on his head,but when he like turn his body and his skin stretches it is really wrinkly
 

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