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How Often Do Bearded Dragons Shed? (Find Out Now!)

How Often Do Bearded Dragons Shed? (Find Out Now!)

Bearded Dragons are neat reptiles that are pretty easy to take care of. Though they are delicate, it’s important for anyone who owns one to know the basics to take care of them so they can live a long and healthy life.

But what does this look like? There are different aspects you need to know about, such as their shedding habits.

 Bearded-DragonsBearded Dragons shed about once a week for the first six months of their life. Between the ages of 6 months and 12 months of age.

Bearded Dragons’ shedding will slow down from once a week to about twice a month. The older they get, the less they shed since they no longer need to grow.

This article will discuss with you the shedding habits of Bearded Dragons so that you know what to expect when you get one. Furthermore, we’ll talk about how you can help your Bearded Dragon shed if he is having issues. Let’s get to it!

How Often Do Bearded Dragons Shed?

 Bearded-Dragon-cageThere are so many things that every new Bearded Dragon owner needs to learn right away in order to get everything ironed out, and this can sometimes lead to the subject of shedding being missed or forgotten entirely.

It’s critical that you learn everything you can about this procedure because it’ll be a big part of your Bearded Dragons’ lives.

As a Bearded Dragon lover, we’ve done some extensive studying on this subject in order to provide you with all the information you need on the shedding aspect of their lives.

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What Makes Bearded Dragons Shed?

What causes Bearded Dragons to shed their skin? There are two primary causes for the shedding. The first is expansion. When a Bearded Dragon matures, its skin becomes too tight and must be replaced with larger skin.

The second reason is that skin can be damaged from a variety of causes and has to be replaced with fresh, healthy skin from time to time.

A Closer Look At Why Bearded Dragons Shed

 Bearded-Dragon-closeupSo, we’ve just scratched the surface of why Bearded Dragons shed their skin. Let’s take a deeper look at each of these reasons for shedding.

The skin of a Bearded Dragon is very different from that of a human. As people age, their skin will stretch to fit their bodies.

Because a Bearded Dragon’s skin does not stretch well as they grow, it will have to create new skin to fit its expanding body.

This is a perfectly normal occurrence in most reptiles, not just Bearded Dragons. This is just a sign that your dragon is growing appropriately.

How Frequently Do Bearded Dragons Shed?

When Bearded Dragons are in their infancy, they develop very quickly during the first six months, which means that they shed quite a bit to keep up with their growth. They will shed about once a week.

When they are in their juvenile years, about 6 to 12 months old, it won’t shed as much. You can expect them to shed about twice a month during this phase of aging.

Once your Bearded Dragon reaches the age of 18 months and more, your Dragon will have completed its entire growth and maybe will shed about twice a year.

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How Long Does It Take For Your Bearded Dragon To Shed?

 Bearded-dragon-shedThe amount of time it takes a Bearded Dragon to shed its skin varies and is dependent on several factors. Baby Dragons shed their skin far faster than adults, and they can remove their complete skin in as little as 1 to three days.

But once your Dragon reaches adulthood, the process will take longer and longer. When it’s an adult, don’t be surprised if it takes as much as three weeks for them to finish the process.

If your Bearded Dragon’s shed hasn’t finished after three weeks, there could be a problem with the shedding becoming stuck.

Later on, we will discuss how you can assist them to shed naturally, but please keep in mind that you should never take any skin off your Bearded Dragon.

There are several natural techniques to help your Bearded Dragon release tight skin and speed up the shedding process, such as using substrates, rocks, branches, and other items. We’ll go over this in further detail.

Is It Possible For You To Assist Your Bearded Dragon With Shedding?

You can assist your Bearded Dragon in naturally shedding its skin in a variety of ways. Always remember not to rip off the skin of your Dragon because it is painful and can lead to an infection.

Let’s look at some ways you can help your dragon shed.

Mist Your Bearded Dragon

Misting your Bearded Dragon at least a couple of times a week is an excellent idea to help with hydration.

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It’s a good idea to spray your Dragon every day when they’re shedding. Even at the simply obstinate places that won’t shed.

This will keep their skin wet, and when they rub up against rocks and branches, their skin will shed much more easily and quickly.

Bathe Them

If you find that misting and bathing aren’t enough to get rid of tough skin, you can use a shedding aid. These are normally quite good and safe.

However, you should only use them if your Bearded Dragon is having trouble shedding, as they’re an unnecessary expense otherwise.

Shedding aids are frequently in the shape of a spray that you can mist on your Dragon in the same way that you would water. You can also purchase shedding aids to use in the bathwater.

Allowing your Dragon to soak for 20 to 30 minutes is an assist to loosen the skin as well as the water, giving your Dragon a much higher chance of shedding any skin that is ready to be shed.

The Best Tank Configuration

Having a decent tank arrangement that supports your Bearded Dragon in shedding its skin is one of the best things you can do to help it shed its skin.

Bearded Dragons, like all other shedding reptiles, have evolved to shed their skin quite well if they have the correct settings. If you have a nice tank arrangement, you won’t need to get involved at all.

So, how can you supply your Dragon with the proper shedding tank setup?

You can easily provide natural surfaces for your Bearded Dragon to brush up against while they go about their day. This will make it easier for them to shed normally.

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What If My Bearded Dragon Can’t Shed?

 Bearded-dragon-aridIf you’ve tried to help your Bearded Dragon shed only to no avail, then it’s time to take him to the vet, as there may be a serious reason why he can’t shed his old skin.

Your vet will take a look at him and possibly send you home with medicines and care instructions so you can help your pet.

The reason it’s important for your Bearded Dragon to get to a vet is that there could be some serious issues that are causing them not to be able to shed, such as dysecdysis.

What Is Dysecdysis?

Dysecdysis is a fancy way of saying that your reptile doesn’t shed the way that he is supposed to.

This can affect up to 25% of the Bearded Dragon population, so while it’s uncommon, it’s not rare and should be ruled out.

What Causes Dysecdysis?

The cause of this condition can vary from not-so-serious to life-threatening, which is why it’s important that you seek immediate attention.

Some of the common causes of Dysecdysis in Bearded Dragons are as follows:

  • Poor nutrition
  • Not enough humidity in the cage
  • Cancer
  • Tumors
  • Bacterial conditions
  • Mites

As you can see, the treatment that your Dragon will need to undergo differs on the cause of this condition.

It might just take a couple of quick tweaks to your critter’s cage, or the cause of the condition may be irreversible.

Can I Stop My Bearded Dragon From Shedding?

You should not attempt to keep your Dragon from shedding as this is a necessary part of its life for it to continue to grow and be healthy.

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If anything, you’ll want to ensure his environment and nutrition are adequate to help foster a healthy shedding cycle.

If you are not ready for the maintenance required to help your Bearded Dragon stay healthy during shedding cycles, then perhaps you might want to look into getting a different kind of pet.

Are Bearded Dragons High Maintenance?

bearded-dragon-close-lookBearded Dragons are not high maintenance in day-to-day care. However, their care is very particular. The case needs to be at a certain humidity level, and they need to be fed a healthy diet.

Other than that, they’re very easy to care for. You need to do the research necessary and have an exotic vet nearby.

In case you need to take your Bearded Dragon to the pet doctor for any reason, such as shedding issues.

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