Thursday, April 24, 2014

Shedding


Shedding

About to shed vs newly shedded skin

Bearded Dragons Shedding Their Old Skin

You will notice one day that your colorful bearded dragon will start to look grey. A bearded dragon does not turn grey because he is old or sick - they are actually about to shed. After a bearded dragon sheds, they will often be noticeably brighter in color than before they began to shed.

When a bearded dragon is about to shed, they will be more lethargic than usual and will be less willing to be handled. You can catch them bulging their eyes out for a few seconds, which loosens the skin around their eyes. When a bearded dragon begins to shed, they will begin to rub their back up against rocks or shove themselves through small spaces in their environment to loosen their skin.
Young bearded dragons can shed roughly every month and a half to two months because of their constant growing. As a bearded dragon ages into adulthood, their shedding will become less frequent, slowing to months or even half a year between sheds.

It is important to not pull or pick at a bearded dragon's shedding skin; you may damage the new layer of skin underneath and leave scars. To help your bearded dragon shed, give them warm baths and mist them daily with a gentle spray bottle. You can also purchase a small, shallow pool for them to drink from and swim in, but be sure someone is available to clean their pool out in the case of defecation in the pool. There are commercial formula sprays available at a pet store to promote a healthy shed, but they can be pricey and are unnecessary if your bearded dragon's environment is maintained. 

 Shenron had a ring of skin around his toe when I purchased him from the pet store, and this toe was darker than the rest. When old skin is not properly shed, it can harden into rings and cut off circulation, causing their skin to darken. I took Shenron to vet immediately after I noticed his toe, this can be very difficult for a first time bearded dragon owner to notice. My vet was able to carefully remove the ring, but she explained to me that Shenron would be very lucky to keep his toe. After removal of the ring, I soaked Shenron's toe in warm water on a daily basis, massaging it to remove any remaining particles of skin as well as promoting circulation. After a few weeks, Shenron's toe began to match the color of the rest of his toes. Nearly five months later, Shenron still has all of his toes.

Shenron's Healed Toe - Barely Visible Scar

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