HATES bath time.. (Also curious about stress marks)

[ashley7988]

Draco HATES bath time! As soon as he touches water he wants out. He does drink while he's in there though so I leave him in there and just watch him. He gives he a look like "Pleeeeease help me!" (You will see in the picture =P) When I was filling up the water in his designated "bathtub" he saw that the counter was about 4 inches away and jumped! scared the heck out of me! I guess he just wanted to explore... Anyhow, he finally pooped!!! He eats like a pig!! I got him to eat some mustard greens yesterday and snuck some pellets in with the greens He LOVES his crickets! Its fun watching him zoom down his branch and run around getting them.

Now for my question - He has a snake-like pattern on his belly, little black lines. From what I read these are called stress marks but don't necessarily mean they're stressed. Sometimes they get pretty dark but then they go away. It hasn't really happened today but it did the first 2 days I had him, I was thinking it was maybe from him adjusting?

 

[Pat B]

Make sure your water is warm enough. About the temperature of a baby bottle. I always have given my BD a bath in the bathtub. That way they can't jump anywhere, they can swim, or soak. I put my hand in the water and sometimes he will crawl up and just soak. Your water should be no higher than the beardies armpit.
If your beardie had stress marks the first 2 days you had him it was probably from the adjustment to a new home. It usually takes about a week - 10 days for a new beardie to make the adjustment. It is nothing unusual. My beardie shows me his stress marks when he is hungry. I feed him and they go away.

 

[ashley7988]

His water temperature has been good. Maybe its because I put him in a container... I'll put him in the bathtub tomorrow and hope he enjoys it!

He hasn't had any stress marks today, and I even got him to munch on some greens =) he kinda "fluffed" up his beard and zoomed down his branch and went to town on his veggies. He seems to be adjusting very well. Showing lots of personality too! Especially when my boyfriend walks up... Even though I feed him and bath him and pretty much do everything and he seems to always show off for him! =P

 

[Pat B]

That is too funny. I think the bathtub might work! Hope so! Good to hear no 'stress' marks today. Sounds like he is beginning to settle down and be his own little person!!

 

[ashley7988]

He really is!! I just need him to show off for me now!! I came home today only to find that he is shedding! Now I know why he was rubbing himself all over his branch and scratching his head like a dog. He's so funny, he's been running all around his tank today. I'm glad he's settling in and getting used to his enclosure. He's my first bearded dragon and I can't believe I've gone this long without one!

 

[Pat B]

Oh my....shedding!! Good luck. It is a normal process so don't let it freak you out! I always think of shedding as growing and that is a good sign!!

 

[ashley7988]

I'm actually pretty excited about it =) at first I was a little worried about him scratching himself on everything until I came home and saw skin at the bottom of his tank haha today has been a pretty eventful day with Draco so I'm going to bed a happy beardie mom =)

 

[ashley7988]

Well I started putting Draco in the sink (bathtub is too big and he runs to the shallow end to get away) and he's starting to like it. Still tried to get out but he's been sitting and chilling more. He poops during his soak everyday and its the only time he poops, is that normal?

He also zoomed up my arm today after his bath, I had to grab him real quick cuz he likes to jump so I didn't want him jumping down from my head I hate grabbing him, I try to be as gentle as possible but that darn baby is quick!

Also, his stress marks have only been appearing when his lights first come on, once he warms up he's okay. They'll also show up when I put him back in his enclosure after his soak and then disappear once he's warm again.

He's also becoming spoiled already... I've found that the only way I can get him to eat his greens is to hand feed them to him. He doesn't really nibble on them by himself in there so about an hour after his lights came on I fed some to him.. He'll eat his crickets like nobody's business though! Luckily I don't have to hand feed those to him... I hate crickets.

 

[Noella]

That's great. I've noticed that when they're starting to warm up, they'll turn dark to absorb more heat. Mine does it every morning and every evening when she's ready for bed. She has the habit of not going to bed unless she comes out and cuddles up on my chest first.

 

[ashley7988]

Mine wants to zoom all over me and I am not comfortable with that yet cuz he's so fast and its hard to catch him! Plus, he has a bad habit of jumping so I try to limit him to my arm... just doesn't work all the time maybe I'll try just taking him out during the day to soak and then taking him out before bed time... Maybe then he'll be a little calmer and run everywhere!