Can You Give a Bearded Dragon a Bath?

Many animals can benefit from washing up in the bath every now and then, but what about your bearded dragon? Do these adorable little lizards need baths, and when are they appropriate for your beardie? Let’s explore the answers to these questions below, along with some tips on how to keep your bearded dragon looking and feeling their best.

Do Bearded Dragons Need Baths?

To be very clear from the start, your bearded dragon does not need to be bathed or scrubbed with soap like you would do for yourself each day or perhaps even your dog from time to time. In fact, these harsh chemicals can be incredibly damaging to your beardie’s skin and eyes and even toxic or deadly if ingested. In general, a traditional bath or shower, like most of us imagine, is not necessary for your reptile companion.

However, what can be very helpful for your beardie is an occasional brief soak in clean, filtered, warm water–not too hot or too cold–with absolutely no surfactants or soaps. Additionally, very gentle scrubbing with warm water and a soft-bristle toothbrush along certain areas of their body can be helpful. This is particularly true if your pet is currently shedding (though we’ll touch on this in more detail below). 

There are actually several situations in which your bearded dragon could benefit from a cozy soak in warm water, but remember, you want to avoid actually bathing them with any type of soap.

When to Give Your Bearded Dragon a Bath

Now that we have a better idea of what a bearded dragon “bath” entails let’s touch on why your lizard might need to soak in warm water in the first place. There are three main reasons why or situations where your beardie may benefit from a warm soak:

1. Your bearded dragon is shedding. This is the primary reason why warm water (and, optionally, a soft-bristle toothbrush) can be helpful for them. The warm water can help moisten their skin and loosen the shedding parts. In turn, they will shed more easily and comfortably, particularly if the humidity level in their enclosure isn’t quite enough to facilitate the shedding process.
2. Your bearded dragon is constipated. If your pet hasn’t pooped in a few days and you notice their tummy looks a bit bloated, a warm soak in a bath of plain old water can help loosen up their bowels. They may also choose to drink from the water, which can also keep their GI tract moving.
3. Your bearded dragon is dehydrated. As we touched on above, some beardies enjoy drinking from the water they’re soaking in, which is great for keeping them hydrated. Though they don’t exactly absorb water directly through their skin, bearded dragons can also take in some water via their vents.

Furthermore, aside from these three key health-related reasons, giving your bearded dragon a bath can help you both bond with each other. This can help make your beardie become more comfortable with your presence in general and make handling them easier for both of you. Plus, many bearded dragons simply enjoy soaking their bodies in warm water–don’t we all?

How to Prepare Your Bearded Dragon’s Bath

Next, let’s take a look at how to safely and effectively provide your pet bearded dragon with a nice soak in the bath. 

First, you want to avoid actually bathing them in your bathtub or sink! This is because their surfaces can carry traces of soaps or harsh cleansers you may have already used on yourself, other members of your family, or the tub itself. These surfaces are tough to actually thoroughly clean and make 100% safe for your beardie to soak in. It’s also very likely your pet may try to drink from the water or absorb some of it via their vent. For these reasons, you’ll want to provide them with their very own “bathtub” to soak in to be safe.

Fortunately, you don’t need to spend a ton of money on a special tiny fancy bearded dragon bathtub. A simple plastic container large and deep enough to fit their entire body is just fine. Ideally, your beardie should have enough room to move around comfortably. Make sure the container is sitting on a low, secure surface in case your lizard decides to run or becomes spooked by any external stimuli.

Getting the Water Ready

Next, fill the “tub” with around one to two inches of warm water, depending on your pet’s size/age. Ideally, the temperature should be warm but not too hot–and it definitely shouldn’t be cold. A temperature range of around 80 to 90 degrees is a good rule of thumb to follow. 

Be very mindful of the water level here. It should only be about as deep as your lizard’s elbows or so. If the water is even a little too deep, particularly for a baby or juvenile bearded dragon, your pet can risk drowning. The water should also not get into their ears. Your lizard should be able to comfortably raise and lower its head to drink from the water if it chooses.

Now that we have the bath ready for your beardie, it’s time for the actual soak!

How to Bathe Your Bearded Dragon

With the tub now ready for your beardie, carefully pick them up and place them into the warm water. It’s a good idea to have a clean, warm towel nearby ready to dry them off post-soak. You can also use a spoon to scoop up small amounts of water to run along their back, being careful to avoid their head and ears. 

If your bearded dragon is shedding, you can use a soft-bristle toothbrush to very gently stimulate any areas where their skin is beginning to loosen. Do not scrub vigorously, and do not manually remove any of the skin unless it is already actively falling off of the body. Generally, your beardie can shed on their own, and removing their shedding skin too early can hurt them.

Keep in mind your bearded dragon may opt to relieve themselves in the water–this is completely normal. In fact, if your lizard has been constipated, this is the intended result. If this happens, remove your bearded dragon from the water, place them on a clean towel, and refresh the water.

After their soak, use the towel to dry them off, and place them directly back into their enclosure so they don’t get too cold. You should usually soak your bearded dragon in their bath for no more than around 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Always use a fresh, clean bath for each session. A bi-weekly soak can be beneficial for all the reasons we covered earlier! Depending on how much your beardie enjoys bathtime, you can adjust the frequency of their sessions from one to three times per week.

All in all, a nice soak can be great for your bearded dragon’s health and happiness.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © PhotoRK/Shutterstock.com