Are you interested in having a bearded dragon as a reptile pet? Yes, you can, if you know about the necessary steps of bearded dragon care. Because a good knowledge of bearded dragon care results in an increased lifespan of your pet.
1. Feeding routine
Bearded Dragons are carnivores. The bearded dragon care diet must include insects (80%). However, you can add 20% greenery in your bearded dragon care diet. Also, you can take some essential bearded dragon care steps. Some steps are mentioned below.
- Keep in mind that a bearded dragon can digest its food at an appropriate inside temperature.
- You should not feed your bearded dragon immediately after turning on the morning lights. Give it some time to warm itself to eat and digest some food. This time must consist of about one hour. Furthermore, do not turn off the lights instantly after giving him the last or second last meal. You can use ultraviolet rays or basking bulbs to provide him with more warmth. Also, to provide them with the required warmth, put a heat lamp in the vivarium.
- Another bearded dragon care revolves around the size of food. Make sure that the size of the food given to the bearded dragon is smaller than its eyes. Because if the food is giant in size, then there is a possibility that the dragon can paralyze. Moreover, if it has some food in its stomach to digest, it might jam in its gut. The spinal cord of a bearded dragon can get harmed in this regard.
2. Handle with care
An essential step in bearded dragon care is to get familiar with it. During the roaming time of a bearded dragon, you should stay with him and never leave him alone. Also, get more friendly with him, and have fun with proper care. Spend more time with your reptile pet to understand each other. If you pay more attention to him, after some time, he recognizes his name and instantly responds to you.
You must wash your hands before and after carrying a bearded dragon. As the bearded dragon is cold-blooded, it wants to rest on your body sometimes, to get extra warmth. But you must avoid or limit it. Because it is carrying a bacteria named, Salmonella all the time on its body. Therefore, It is necessary to thoroughly wash the parts of your body where a bearded dragon chilled on.
3. Shedding
Shedding is an essential step in bearded dragon care. A newborn bearded dragon needs to shed for about nine months. On the other hand, An adult bearded dragon needs shedding more than once a week. Why is shedding crucial in bearded dragon care? Often, the skin of a bearded dragon darkens, dull, and gets nearly chalky. Eyes start bulging, and the skin around the eyes comes to lose.
Also, it becomes lazy and sluggish. Therefore, if you found any of these symptoms in your reptile pet, do not worry. It is time to call in shedding in your bearded dragon care routine.
During shedding, it loses all of its old skin and gets all-new skin, not only around the eyes but its whole body, including the neck.
If you saw all these symptoms in your pet reptile and he is not going for shedding, there is a possibility that he is ill. So, immediately address a vet.
4. Bathing
Bearded dragon care includes bathing. Good pet owners give baths to their pets after a week or a month. But some owners never give bath to their pet ever. This isn’t very smart. Because your pet reptile needs a bath every week. Warm water is adequate. However, it should not hot but just warm. Use a small tub for giving a bath and put a piece of high stone or any other plastic toy in it, so the bearded dragon climbs up. Water must be filled about the shoulder of a bearded dragon. Let it swim in it for about 30 minutes.
5. Physical fitness
The most critical part of bearded dragon care is checking its health. Make sure that your bearded dragon is physically fit. And it does not have any symptoms of laziness or illness. Proper maintenance can decrease disease ratio. However, some common household bearded dragon diseases are Diarrhea, Dehydration, and Impaction.
Spray some water on bearded dragons skin at least thrice times a day to avoid dehydration. Clean the cage after a day to prevent Impaction in bearded dragons. Do not change the diet of bearded dragons suddenly to prevent Diarrhea. Also, laziness, overweight, discharge from the eye, mouth, nose, or ears, and discolored mouth and stomach are some symptoms of diseases.
In the case of one or multiple symptoms, go for a vet immediately. Numerous signs are more dangerous for the pet’s life. Therefore, give him a proper diet and take appropriate bearded dragon care to increase its lifespan.