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Bearded dragons and water intake

Call me Sal

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
13
Thanks for posting that link! I spray mine once on Sunday's and I'll put him in about an inch of water just to clean his underside if he's dirty. He gets his hydration from a salad and a juicy horn worm.
 

Julee1971

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
Messages
773
Thanks for posting that link! I spray mine once on Sunday's and I'll put him in about an inch of water just to clean his underside if he's dirty. He gets his hydration from a salad and a juicy horn worm.
Hi There; u should spray a beardie w/filtered water 2-3 sprays/2-3times/day. Buy reptisafe to remove true chlorine. Also, always Place a water bowl in the tank & shake in front of his eyes & splash it with your fingers cuz they don’t see still water; this way he sees it and can drink daily if he wants. Also, Beardies NEED 2baths/week in lukewarm means very very lightly warm in dechlorinated water for 15min minimum. If u don’t have a filter system buy: REPTISAFE it’s a blue bottle of drops to drop a few in drinking, bathing & spraying water & it removes the chlorine. Chlorine is terrible for them & dries out their skin. Also, salad has water but no nutritional value I hope u are giving him his plate daily of veggies & greens everyday forever; the everyday ones are mustard greens, collard greens, dandelions, yellow squash, butternut squash, endives, snap peas & green beans. He needs veggies & greens cut up to his size, mix 2-3 of each. U can do blueberries/mangoes & papaya as treats 1/2 times a week not to much cuz sugar ain’t good for them. Hornworms/superworms only feed once in a while as treats cuz they are high in fat. Crickets/Dubias should be the main proteins I place my dubias/crickets , in a bowl of water & he dives for them and gets his water too. I do this on the non calcium powder days. Or u can sprinkle the calcium on the veggies. Buy REPCAl amd give 3times per week on feeders & herptivite vitamin powder once per week on non lackin days.
 

Call me Sal

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
13
Hi There; u should spray a beardie w/filtered water 2-3 sprays/2-3times/day. Buy reptisafe to remove true chlorine. Also, always Place a water bowl in the tank & shake in front of his eyes & splash it with your fingers cuz they don’t see still water; this way he sees it and can drink daily if he wants. Also, Beardies NEED 2baths/week in lukewarm means very very lightly warm in dechlorinated water for 15min minimum. If u don’t have a filter system buy: REPTISAFE it’s a blue bottle of drops to drop a few in drinking, bathing & spraying water & it removes the chlorine. Chlorine is terrible for them & dries out their skin. Also, salad has water but no nutritional value I hope u are giving him his plate daily of veggies & greens everyday forever; the everyday ones are mustard greens, collard greens, dandelions, yellow squash, butternut squash, endives, snap peas & green beans. He needs veggies & greens cut up to his size, mix 2-3 of each. U can do blueberries/mangoes & papaya as treats 1/2 times a week not to much cuz sugar ain’t good for them. Hornworms/superworms only feed once in a while as treats cuz they are high in fat. Crickets/Dubias should be the main proteins I place my dubias/crickets , in a bowl of water & he dives for them and gets his water too. I do this on the non calcium powder days. Or u can sprinkle the calcium on the veggies. Buy REPCAl amd give 3times per week on feeders & herptivite vitamin powder once per week on non lackin days.
I guess I should have been more specific. Yes, I have a small bowl of water on the cold side..His salad?! It's changes daily but the staple greens are dandelion, green leaf and collard, veggies are carrot, cucumber, red pepper, celery etc.. he gets 1 raspberry on Saturday. Lol.. bugs, I only feed him dubia, super, black fly larvae and horn worms. Then there's his supplements! This thing is healthier than me. Lol
 

Jrodkw

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
81
My dragon used to jump into and lay in the dogs water bowl. So I bought him his own giant water bowl which he just now drinks from. Never soaks in it though.
 

Julee1971

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
Messages
773
My dragon used to jump into and lay in the dogs water bowl. So I bought him his own giant water bowl which he just now drinks from. Never soaks in it though.
Its Ok. At least he drinks from it:) Basically u have to give them a bath twice a week in lukewarm, dechlorinated water for 15min minimum in a clean sink or bathtub. Paly meditation/spa music softly on your iphone they love it. Give more baths if he's shedding it helps with itching & helps the skin fall off quicker. If you dont have a filter system in the home, buy REPTISAFE its drops u place in the water to remove the chlorine. Chlorine dries out & damages their skin:) Make sure u dont get water in his ears and its way below his neck otherwise they aspirate and breathe in water and will get URInfection.
 

Jrodkw

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
81
Its Ok. At least he drinks from it:) Basically u have to give them a bath twice a week in lukewarm, dechlorinated water for 15min minimum in a clean sink or bathtub. Paly meditation/spa music softly on your iphone they love it. Give more baths if he's shedding it helps with itching & helps the skin fall off quicker. If you dont have a filter system in the home, buy REPTISAFE its drops u place in the water to remove the chlorine. Chlorine dries out & damages their skin:) Make sure u dont get water in his ears and its way below his neck otherwise they aspirate and breathe in water and will get URInfection.
I appreciate the feedback and recommendations for the reptisafe. I have never bathed my dragon and he hasn't had any problems but if he does I'll be sure to consider the bath idea.
 

Julee1971

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
Messages
773
I appreciate the feedback and recommendations for the reptisafe. I have never bathed my dragon and he hasn't had any problems but if he does I'll be sure to consider the bath idea.
Hi; Google it. Baths are twice a week 15min minimum in lukewarm dechlorinated water that’s how they absorb water is Thru their bodies. Especially when shedding they need baths to help the skin fall off and relieve the itching.
 

WICKEDPOGONA

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
Messages
149
Hi; Google it. Baths are twice a week 15min minimum in lukewarm dechlorinated water that’s how they absorb water is Thru their bodies. Especially when shedding they need baths to help the skin fall off and relieve the itching.
Dragons don't need to he bathes that often . It is a myth that they absorb water through their cloaca/vent they don't absorb water through the skin the only hydration they get from bathing is if thy decide to drink it . it is not good to involuntary bathe your beardie that often they get most of their water intake from greens and bugs . bunch or folklore husbandry in your post. Pretty much all what you said is highly false
 

WICKEDPOGONA

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
Messages
149
Hi; Google it. Baths are twice a week 15min minimum in lukewarm dechlorinated water that’s how they absorb water is Thru their bodies. Especially when shedding they need baths to help the skin fall off and relieve the itching.
If ya read the thread and the linked article you wouldve known this been debunked for years lol
 

Jrodkw

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
81
Hi; Google it. Baths are twice a week 15min minimum in lukewarm dechlorinated water that’s how they absorb water is Thru their bodies. Especially when shedding they need baths to help the skin fall off and relieve the itching.
That myth was debunked a long time ago. Especially for dragons that drink water and shed normally.
 

Tina W.

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
51
Great article. Thankyou. I will be changing my thinking on that. I, too, "learned" about water absorption thru the vent on my many research expeditions. Unfortunately that info is still out there. I appreciate the correct info.
 

Julee1971

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
Messages
773
Great article. Thankyou. I will be changing my thinking on that. I, too, "learned" about water absorption thru the vent on my many research expeditions. Unfortunately that info is still out there. I appreciate the correct info.
Hi Tina, we rescue and rehome; always give Beardies a bath twice a week & more when shedding. Also most them a few times a day. They absorb water Thru their bodies & the baths help the itching when shedding & helps the shed fall off quicker. If the shed doesn’t fully fall off, it could cut off circulation in that area. Also, buy Reptisafe to remove the chlorine in the bathing & drinking water unless u have a filter system.
 

Krystal0

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
142
Great article. Thankyou. I will be changing my thinking on that. I, too, "learned" about water absorption thru the vent on my many research expeditions. Unfortunately that info is still out there. I appreciate the correct info.
:)
 

Sadie

Bearded Dragon Veteran
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
10,692
Too many baths will dry the skin/ scales out --- dragons are desert animals and get most of their moisture from the rinsed greens - you can tell by their poop if they are dehydrated - good poops will be dark moist and formed urate will be white formed and moist -- if its dried out chalky looking they are dehydrated
 

Krystal0

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
142
Too many baths will dry the skin/ scales out --- dragons are desert animals and get most of their moisture from the rinsed greens - you can tell by their poop if they are dehydrated - good poops will be dark moist and formed urate will be white formed and moist -- if its dried out chalky looking they are dehydrated
 

Shauna_T

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
4

Pete Hawkins

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
1
Oh my :)

It's awesome that this old article of mine is still getting thrown about.
It's been published I various magazines since this - notably Practical Reptile Keeping Magazine where it goes through a peer review process.

The info has also been used by The BeardieVet for his experiments on such.

So, just wanted to say, Thanks for keeping this myth busting alive - more so when this myth STILL won't go away :)

More of my articles can be found on my blog if anyone IS interested, they are free .pdf files www.reptilenetworks.co.uk

Keep up the amazing work on here all.
 

Shauna_T

Bearded Dragon Egg
Messages
4
Oh my :)

It's awesome that this old article of mine is still getting thrown about.
It's been published I various magazines since this - notably Practical Reptile Keeping Magazine where it goes through a peer review process.

The info has also been used by The BeardieVet for his experiments on such.

So, just wanted to say, Thanks for keeping this myth busting alive - more so when this myth STILL won't go away :)

More of my articles can be found on my blog if anyone IS interested, they are free .pdf files www.reptilenetworks.co.uk

Keep up the amazing work on here all.
Ty I will definitely look at them!
 
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