My bearded dragon is shedding for the first time. Should I see a vet?

It does look like it could be improper shed in that area. I really think it is best to get him to a reptile vet for an exam. After they look at him in person they can probably give you better advice.

It is possible the shed aid contained moisturizers or emmolients that may have enhanced color. These products soften the shed to make removal easier. Try bathing her in warm water for 20-30 minutes. Monitor for lethargy, decreased appetite or redness on the skin. See your vet if necessary. Consider frequent baths or misting in the future to aid in shedding.

Thank you for your question about Loki, and thank you for the photos - they are very helpful! From what I can see in the photos, I think that you are asking about the large white area that extends from the eyes forward to around his nose and down along his mouth. This looks like areas of retained shed on top of new skin. Difficulty shedding, or dysecdysis, is often the result of imperfections in the husbandry. I would recommend starting with soaking Loki in 85-90 F water once daily for 15-20 minutes. While in the bath, you can wet a paper towel or cloth and get the areas of retained shed wet. Use caution around his eyes and nose, however, as we don't want him to feel uncomfortable or panicked. I would also suggest evaluating the husbandry and diet closely. You can consult an online care sheet, such as anapsid.org or Reptiles Magazine, and see if there are any areas that you may need to make adjustments. Common areas that require adjustment include lighting (UV lights need to be changed every 4-6 months), temperatures, and humidity/hydration/water. I would also recommend taking Loki into a veterinarian at some point for a wellness examination. Your veterinarian can make recommendations that are tailored to Loki after his physical exam has been performed. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Yes, it sounds like Lightning could be in the process of shedding. Here is great article that should answer all of your questions about the process. http://pogopogona.com/caring-for-bearded-dragons/bearded-dragon-shedding Just be sure that you have all of his husbandry 100% correct (lighting, diet, supplements, humidity, temperature, etc) because that is the #1 reason bearded dragons have health issues. If he is not in the process of shedding then he may be getting sick. https://www.petco.com/content/content-hub/home/articlePages/caresheets/bearded-dragon.html Hope this helps. If you have more questions feel free to post again. Best wishes.

I don't know if you tried posting a photo with your question but it did not come through. I apologize but we are having a glitch in the system. I will do my best to help you despite not having a photo. What you are describing sounds like red mites. My best recommendation is to get him to a reptile vet for treatment. You will also need to thoroughly clean the enclosure. You can certainly try home treatment first and if it doesn't work you will need to take him to the vet. Please refer to this link on how to go about treating Zeke and the enclosure. http://www.anapsid.org/mites.html Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It is recommended to take your Beardie to the vet once a year for an examination and fecal test. Beardies don't require any vaccines. If indicated the vet may want to check a blood test too. The exam is mainly for you and vet to talk about husbandry - the diet, the housing, substrate, supplements, lighting, etc - and to make any changes based on the exam. The exam is important because a vet is trained to pick up subtle changes that may indicate an illness is imminent. That way treatment can be started before the illness gets out of hand. The fecal test is to check for any internal parasites and to treat them as needed. The blood test would be to make sure all the internal organs are working correctly. It is a good idea to be established with a good reptile vet anyway in case you have an emergency. I hope this helps. Best wishes!

They usually will start to be flakey and the skin will be loose and start to peel off. I recommend to leave them alone during the process and make sure their humidity is up in their environment. I hope this helps!