Leaving your bearded dragon home alone while you’re at work or on vacation is a common concern for pet owners. These solitary reptiles that hail from the Australian Outback generally do okay on their own for short periods, but they still rely on you for daily care and attention.
If you’re short on time, here’s the quick answer: Healthy adult bearded dragons can typically be left alone for up to 48 hours as long as their enclosures are properly set up to regulate temperature, humidity, lighting, and food access. Babies and juveniles should never be left alone overnight.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about leaving your beloved ‘beardie’ home alone. You’ll learn how long you can safely leave a bearded dragon unattended based on factors like age, proper husbandry setups, health status, and more.
We’ll also provide tips to prepare the vivarium and schedule automatic feeders to minimize risks when you’re away.
How Long Can Bearded Dragons Go Without Food or Water?
The ability of a bearded dragon to go without food or water depends greatly on their age and health status. Proper husbandry is key to ensuring pet reptiles stay happy and healthy.
Impact of Age
A bearded dragon’s age plays a big role in how long they can go without food or water. Baby and juvenile dragons have higher metabolisms and cannot go as long without sustenance as mature adults. Their growing bodies demand more nutrients and hydration.
Healthy Adults
An adult bearded dragon in good health can generally go up to 2 weeks without food. However, they should not go more than 4-5 days without water. After this time, they risk dehydration which can quickly turn fatal if untreated.
An adult dragon relies on built-up fat stores in their tail for energy when food is scarce. But a healthy dragon over one year old can still become quite ill and lethargic after 7-10 days without food.
Bearded dragons receive most of their hydration from eating vegetables and some filtered water. Some keepers provide a small dish of water, but others choose not to since excessive soaking can cause health issues. The optimal habitat has around 40% humidity. Dehydration risks increase in drier setups.
Signs of dehydration include sunken eyes, skin tenting, and thick urates.
Baby & Juvenile Bearded Dragons
For baby bearded dragons under 4 months old, going just 3-4 days without food can have devastating consequences. Their rapid growth combined with a lack of fat stores and smaller size causes them to weaken much faster. After two days they likely will not move around much or open their eyes.
Babies can die within 4 days without food and just 24 hours without water. Any hatchlings or juveniles showing signs of lethargy require immediate attention.
The best way to avoid these emergency scenarios is by providing your bearded dragon a proper setup and following ideal feeding routines. Babies and juveniles under 18 months old have unique care requirements. Make sure to research beforehand and consult an exotic vet if concerns arise.
Bearded Dragon’s Age | Time Without Food | Time Without Water |
---|---|---|
Baby Under 4 Months | 3-4 days max | 24 hours max |
Juvenile Under 18 Months | 5-7 days max | 3 days max |
Healthy Adult Over 1 Year | 2 weeks max | 4-5 days max |
For more details on proper husbandry for bearded dragons of all ages, check out BeardedDragonCare101.com. Their care sheets provide excellent information to keep your dragon happy and healthy!
Providing Proper Husbandry Setups
Regulating Temperature
Bearded dragons require specific temperature gradients to thrive. The basking spot should be 95-110°F to allow for proper digestion and metabolism. The cool side should be 70-85°F to allow regulating body temperature.
Use under tank heat mats, ceramic heat emitters, and incandescent bulbs to create the proper thermal gradient. Temperatures lower than 65°F can cause health issues like respiratory infections.
Maintaining Humidity Levels
Bearded dragons come from arid desert environments, so humidity should be kept low. Ideal levels are between 30-40%. High humidity above 50% can lead to deadly respiratory infections. Provide proper ventilation and avoid misting the enclosure. Use hygrometers to monitor humidity.
Proper substrates like reptile carpets or newspaper help prevent excess moisture buildup.
Providing UVA/UVB Lighting
Proper lighting is crucial for bearded dragons. They require UVA/UVB lighting to synthesize vitamin D3 for calcium metabolism. Without it, they can develop bone disease and other disorders. Use linear UVB bulbs that span 2/3 the enclosure length.
Replace bulbs every 6 months since UV output declines over time. Ensure lighting provides 12-14 hours of bright white light and UVA/UVB for a proper day/night cycle.
Enabling Food Access
Bearded dragons should always have access to fresh water and proper nutrition when left alone. Use heavy ceramic water dishes that won’t tip over. Feed an age-appropriate staple diet like chopped greens, vegetables, insects, and occasional fruits.
Avoid loose substrates that can cause impactions if accidentally ingested. Allow at least 1-2 days of meals accessible in shallow food dishes. As an extra precaution, install timed automatic feeders to dispense live insects while away.
Hiring Pet Sitters vs Boarding Facilities
Considering Pet Sitters
When owners need to leave their bearded dragons alone for days at a time, hiring a pet sitter to care for them at home is an option to consider. Pet sitters can visit daily to spot-clean the enclosure, feed/water the dragon, and spend some individual play and handling time.
This mimics the dragon’s normal routine. Many pet sitters are also trained to administer medications if needed.
Researching sitters’ experience with reptiles is crucial, as their needs differ greatly from dogs/cats. Ask for references from other reptile owners specifically. Having someone the dragon is already familiar with will help minimize stress.
Boarding Bearded Dragons
Specialized reptile boarding facilities are equipped to care for bearded dragons, with climate-controlled enclosures, balanced diets, and 24/7 monitoring. Such facilities ensure the more involved care requirements are consistently met. Some have veterinary staff available as well.
The main downside is potentially heightened stress from an unfamiliar environment/handlers. There is also some risk of exposure to pathogens from other animals. Tour facilities beforehand to evaluate health/sanitation protocols for minimizing this risk.
Weighing the Pros and Cons
When weighing pet sitters vs boarding facilities, consider variables like trip duration, the sitter or facility’s experience level with reptiles, costs, and your dragon’s temperament. Does your dragon tend to be stressed by change? Is special healthcare or handling required?
Here is a comparison of some key factors when deciding between options:
Considerations | Pet Sitter at Home | Boarding Facility |
Stress on Dragon | Less – No change to environment | More – Unfamiliar place/handlers |
Custom Care | Highly customizable for needs | Routine, generalized protocols |
Health Risk | Lower | Potentially higher pathogen exposure |
Convenience | Arranging access, key pickup/drop-off | One drop-off/pickup |
Cost | $25-35 per 30 min visit | $20-50 per night |
Doing adequate research and asking questions is key to finding the safest pet care solutions tailored to your beloved dragon’s needs.
Preparing the Vivarium Before Leaving
Performing a Deep Clean
Before heading out, it’s crucial to give your bearded dragon’s enclosure a thorough cleaning to create a safe and hygienic habitat. This involves removing all decorative items and substrates, scrubbing down the tank and accessories with a reptile-safe disinfectant solution, rinsing thoroughly, and allowing to fully dry before returning contents (see Bearded Dragon Care 101).
A sparkling clean vivarium promotes good health while you’re away.
Disinfecting the Enclosure
To prevent the spread of bacteria or fungi, it’s vital to disinfect your bearded dragon’s entire habitat before a trip. An appropriate disinfectant solution should be gently applied to all surfaces and accessories in the enclosure after cleaning.
Allow sufficient contact time, rinse extremely thoroughly, and let dry fully. This eliminates microscopic pathogens that could make your pet sick.
Ensuring Proper Temperatures
Maintaining an ideal temperature gradient is key for bearded dragons when leaving them. The warm end should stay at 95-100°F, while the cool end remains around 75-80°F. Use a reliable thermostat to regulate heating elements and monitor readings with thermometer probes during your absence.
Position supplements like ceramic heat emitters and UTH pads properly to achieve this life-supporting temp range.
Stocking Up on Fresh Greens
Make sure to supply ample fresh vegetables in your bearded dragon’s enclosure before traveling, as greens comprise 75% of their diet. Washed staples like collard, mustard, and turnip greens will keep longer in the fridge while you’re gone.
Having a diverse salad bar on hand will satisfy nutritional needs and provide enrichment during solo time.
Scheduling Automatic Feeders
Programmable automatic reptile feeders are ideal for portioning live insects on a set schedule when you can’t personally feed your dragon daily. Quality feeders from brands like Zoo Med allow custom calcium dusting and prevent overfeeding.
Position multiple feedings across the enclosure to encourage healthy movement in your absence. Just monitor closely upon returning!
Providing Proper Care Upon Returning
Checking for Signs of Stress
After leaving your bearded dragon alone for an extended period, it’s crucial to check them over for any signs of stress or illness. Look for changes in their appearance like darkened colors, sunken eyes, or limp limbs which could indicate dehydration or malnutrition.
Gently feel their abdomen to make sure it’s not hard or swollen which could mean a blockage. Check the corners of their mouth for crustiness from dehydration. Also inspect between their toes and tail for retained shed skin which could cut off circulation.
Your dragon’s vivarium may also give clues about their wellbeing. Look for signs of diarrhea or unusual urates which are white or yellow waste. Make sure temperatures and lighting were maintained at proper levels. Disinfect any water or food dishes that may have gotten contaminated.
Having everything set up optimally again will help your beardie get back on track.
Monitoring Food & Water Intake
It’s vital to pay close attention to your bearded dragon’s eating and drinking habits after leaving them. Offer fresh greens, vegetables, and live insects, then observe how much they eat. Healthy juveniles tend to eat 30-80 appropriately sized feeder insects per day, while adults eat fewer insects but more leafy greens.[1] Monitor their energy levels – a healthy dragon will eagerly chase down food!
Also check that your dragon is drinking enough water, either from a bowl or droplets on leaves. Signs of dehydration include sunken eyes, dry sticky urates, and wrinkled skin. Gently dribble water on their snout to encourage drinking. Boost hydration by misting the vivarium multiple times a day.
Watching for Changes in Feces
Take note of your bearded dragon’s feces after leaving them alone – this gives important clues about their health. Normal droppings should be solid, brown, and white urates attached. Runny feces could mean gastrointestinal issues from stress. Lack of feces may signal dehydration constipation.
Discoloured yellow urates can indicate liver or kidney problems.
Sanitize your dragon’s habitat by removing all feces promptly. Replace substrate like reptile carpet or paper towels if soiled. Disinfect any decorations or furnishings where feces collected. Maintaining clean living conditions will help get their digestive system back on track after the stress of your absence.
Keeping an Eye on Behavior
Your bearded dragon’s behavior also deserves close monitoring after you’ve left them. Healthy dragons are alert and active when presented with food. Watch for signs of lethargy like remaining still for over an hour, which could mean illness or deficiency.
Make sure they can reach proper basking temperatures to digest food and regulate metabolism.[2]
Also check that their night time temperature drops into the 65-75°F range to allow adequate rest. Turning lights off at night is crucial to maintain their circadian rhythm after disruption from you being away.
Pay attention to signs of agitation like stress darkening beard or hissing which could mean their habitat needs adjusting to make them feel secure again.
Conclusion
When cared for properly, most healthy adult bearded dragons can go 1-2 days alone as long as temperatures and lighting stay regulated, and they have access to food and water. Make sure to fully prepare their habitat, consider hired pet sitters for longer absences, and closely monitor them when you return.
The keys are setting up the vivarium for self-regulation, scheduling automatic feeders, and staying vigilant about their health before and after any solo time. With adequate preparations in place, your bearded dragon companion should do just fine while home alone for a day or two.