First shedding

[jora_angel]

Hi everyone! My beardie is shedding for the first time in my care! Yay! He's doing such a good job and is almost done. I've increased misting him and he seems to love it (I think he might be itchy!) I want to make sure its normal for him to have changed colors a bit. I rescued him and he wasnt fed a proper diet or given proper heating and lighting, so his growth could have been stunted. I think he is around a year and half to two years though.

He eats twice a day
-massaged kale
-bell pepper
-cabbage
-5 crickets
-3 meal worms
I dust his salad with calcium powder (he never had this in his other home)
His temps are 95-100 on the hot side and 65-70 on the cooler side
I mist him normally twice a day because he doesnt drink out of the bowl or tub, his urate is white.

I just started him on pellets soaked in a bit of water and organic apple juice, poop was crazy green is that normal? (pellets are green and red)
Thanks everyone! I didn't realize how much I was getting into when I rescued him from his previous owner, but I'm in it for the long haul!!

 

[Hdrydr31]

Glad to hear that your fella is doing well! Way to go for giving him the home and love he deserves. Yes they are a long commitment for sure, but watching them thrive is awesome. It is pretty normal to see some color changes after a shed and in your case now that he is getting proper care it will show in his appearances Just make sure you give him a variety of salads as there is alot that they can eat to keep it interesting for them. I have no experience with the pellets. Superworms would be better than the mealworms as they are easier to digest. Watch the humidity levels if you are misting him 2x a day too much can lead to respiratory issues, maybe give him soaks 1-3x a week they should be getting the majority of their moisture from the bugs/greens that they eat.
Enjoy

 

[PatsyB]

Here are some links for good salad options. http://greathousefarm.com/Greathouse-Reptile-Nutrition-List.pdf http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutritionframeset.html

It's normal for them to change color with each shed. Mine tend to show their oranges more when they shed. Poop is probably green because the dye in the pellets. The pellets don't really offer anything different than a good salad would. It's good though that you are soaking them first so they expand before he eats them rather than while they are in his belly. Instead of misting, I would give him more frequent baths and gently rub him in the direction the scales go, with a washcloth or extra soft baby toothbrush to help loosen things.