Juvenile beardies (over 6 months) need a bath a couple times a week. It's best to not bathe baby beardies because they can't handle the temperature changes.
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Bath water should be warm, but not hot! Don't burn them. It's not supposed to be a sauna. Be sure to add more warm water if they are in the bath for a long time.
Most beardies will involuntarily puff up with air when the get into water; it's a survival instinct to keep them afloat. Don't worry about it.
Some beardies like to swim around and play; some don't. If they like to swim, let them swim. My older three beardies got in tonight, got a drink, and then wanted out.
A beardie who has had a lot to drink will have a very full belly! Don't squeeze them too hard or they will spit the water back up.
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For new beardies who aren't used to baths, I dip my fingers in the water and dribble it on their noses to make them drink. It may take a few drops, but usually they will start opening their mouths and licking up the water. You can keep doing that until they stop licking or you can gently coax their mouths down toward the water so they can drink directly. Once my beardies learn to lap up the water themselves, I don't even have to dribble water on their noses-- they do it immediately.
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If they poop in the water, then bath time is over. Don't let them drink the poopy water. If they haven't had anything to drink, drain the water, wash out the sink, refill the water, and put them back in.
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Once my beardies have bathed, I wrap them in a clean towel and put them back directly under their basking spot so they can warm back up.
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When I have new beardies, I change the water for each one so I don't spread any diseases. Tonight Thor got the first bath, then I washed out the sink and refilled it for Toothless. I also used separate towels for them. Because Lizzie, Max, and SweetPea have been with me and around each other for a long time, I let them share the same water.
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| SweetPea drinking. She's about to shed so her back is white |
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| Max drinking. He weighed a lot more when I picked him up! |
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| Toothless & her first bath with me |
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| Lizzie drinking. He used to hate bath time, but now he enjoys it |
