Caring for a bearded dragon and meeting their unique needs to ensure they lead healthy, fulfilling lives is an enjoyable part of pet care. New pet owner or experienced, this guide will help you navigate the essentials of bearded dragon care and delves into fascinating subjects such as emotions and communication.
Jump To…
Optimal Health & Care for Bearded Dragons
Bearded dragons are fascinating reptiles with specific health needs that must be carefully managed to ensure they thrive. There is so much to understanding such as:
- How to sex a bearded dragon
- Unique dental structure and its care
- Recognizing signs of unhealthy weight
- Femoral pores and the messages the communicate
- The Third Eye and how it influences your care
- How spaying or neutering affects behavior
- Shedding and how you can help
- Care during brumation
- Bathing for hydration and cleanliness
Hydration, Humidity and Bathing
Your bearded dragon’s health is dependent on proper humidity control and hydration. Giving your bearded dragon a relaxing and safe bath also plays a role in hydration techniques.
Housing Bearded Dragons
Bearded dragons thrive do well in environments made to mimic their natural habitat. From basking to shady retreats the right enclosure, lighting, and heating is essential for vitamin D3 synthesis. In turn the environment aids in digestion and overall health.
An outdoor enclosure as well as an indoor enclosure helps to mitigate issues with the setup of indoor artificial heating and lighting.
Housing Insects: Key to a Healthy Diet
The quality of food you provide is as important as the quantity. Caring for feeder insects like crickets, mealworms, cockroaches, and silkworms ensures they are nutritious and safe for your dragon.
Insect Care Tips:
- Housing: Keep insects in a well-ventilated container with appropriate substrate.
- Feeding: Provide a nutritious diet for your insects to enhance their value as feeders.
Breeding Bearded Dragons
Breeding bearded dragons can be fun. Bearded dragons are prolific breeders and need no encouragement but there are considerations such as:
- Preventing harm to the female
- Care of a gravid female
- Housing all the young
Understanding Zoonotic Diseases in Bearded Dragons
Zoonotic diseases are illnesses that can be transmitted from animals to humans and conversely (can you make your bearded dragon sick?). Bearded dragons, like many pets, can be carriers of certain pathogens. Being aware of these potential risks helps prevent issues with both their own health and the wellbeing of their reptilian companions. Some zoonotic diseases associated with bearded dragons are:
Safely Moving & Transporting Your Bearded Dragon
Short term and long term trips with bearded dragons whether taking it to the vet, moving to a new home or considering importing and exporting can have some complexities. Bearded dragons are sensitive to changes in their environment, and improper handling during transit can lead to stress or injury.
Posts on Caring for Bearded Dragons
Kids want a Bearded Dragon: Key Considerations for Parents
Are bearded dragons good pets for kids? If your child is keen on welcoming a bearded dragon into your home, it’s a wonderful opportunity to embark on an educational journey together. Here are some suggestions to ensure a joyful and enriching experience for your family and the new scaly friend. Guidance and Learning Together Encouraging […]
Bearded Dragon Constipation Guide with Action Plan
Constipation in bearded dragons is a common concern for pet owners. If not treated, it can progress into impaction, which may lead to paralysis of the back legs and eventually death. Both constipation and impaction are uncomfortable, painful and preventable with proper care, though severe cases may require surgery. Both bearded dragon constipation and impaction […]
Bearded Dragon Poop Guide: The Ins and Outs of Poop
Your bearded dragon’s poop plays a role in monitoring its health. As a bearded dragon owner, keeping an eye on your pet’s poop is an essential part of care. Bearded dragon poop can reveal a lot about your pet’s overall well-being. From the frequency of bowel movements to the color and consistency of the poop, […]
Housing Bearded Dragons: The Best Setups
Bearded dragons thrive when their environment closely mimics their natural habitat. In the wild, they bask under the sun and retreat to shade to regulate their body temperature. In captivity, you’ll need to replicate this environment with the right enclosure, lighting, and heating. Proper UVB lighting is essential for vitamin D3 synthesis, and temperature gradients […]
Can my Reptile Make me Sick? Campylobacteriosis
Campylobacteriosis is a bacterial illness caused by Campylobacter bacteria, it is considered a zoonotic disease (Uzal, 2022) and its prevalence in humans is increasing (Masila, 2020). Campylobacteriosis is associated with many animals including kittens, puppies, lambs and cattle (Minnesota Department of Health, 2023). Bearded dragons, like many reptiles, can also carry these bacteria in their […]
Can my Reptile make me Sick? Reptile Associated Salmonella (RAS)
Reptile-associated salmonellosis (RAS) has been connected to bearded dragons as with other reptiles. Even healthy bearded dragons can pass on Salmonella which has significant zoonotic potential (Scheelings et al., 2011). Reptile-associated salmonellosis (RAS) is a “primary pathogen of reptiles” (Scheelings et al., 2011) can cause serious illness (Salmonella Infection from Frogs, Turtles and Lizards, 2011). […]
References
O’Rourke, D. P., & Lertpiriyapong, K. (2015). Biology and Diseases of Reptiles. Laboratory Animal Medicine, 967–1013.
Stahl, S. J. (1999). General Husbandry and Captive Propagation of Bearded Dragons, Pogona vitticeps. Bulletin of the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians, 9(4), 12–17.
