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How To Treat White Spots On Bearded Dragons!

Keeping bearded dragons as pets has been steadily increasing for years and they are not one of the most commonly kept reptiles in North America and Europe.

With so many people keeping bearded dragons, we have noticed a huge spike in the number of people who reach out for advice due to having various problems with their pets each month.

We have seen a dramatic spike in the number of people reaching out due to having white spots on their bearded dragon recently with a number of people who are new to keeping bearded dragons being nervous that something serious was wrong with their pet.

Now, when it comes to white spots on a bearded dragon, there can actually be a range of different potential problems that may cause it to develop white spots.

This is why we wanted to publish our own article going over the topic as there are a number of potential causes of white spots on bearded dragons.

The majority of people on social media instantly default to shedding being the reason that a bearded dragon develops white spots and although this is the most common cause, there are two additional relatively common causes that require specialist treatment.

If you are unsure what is causing the white spots in your bearded dragon or want a professional opinion then a video call with a veterinarian is probably the best route to take.

White Spots Due To Shedding!

The most common cause of white spots on bearded dragons is shedding and this is totally normal and is usually nothing worry about.

The frequency that your bearded dragon sheds will change as it grows too so the change in shed frequency can cause some people to think that they may have a different issue with their bearded dragon when the white spots are still just due to shedding.

It is usually very easy to identify shedding as the cause of white spots on a bearded dragon as a day or two after the white spots form due to the air gap on the bearded dragon, they will start their shed.

Although most bearded dragons will be able to shed without issue, keep an eye on their nose and help your bearded dragon shed its nose if required as it can be problematic in some bearded dragons.

Misting your bearded dragon regularly, soaking them in a warm bath, and gently rubbing areas of the peeling skin can all help your bearded dragon through the shedding process quicker too.

Depending on your bearded dragon, this may not be required though and you may actually be able to get very similar results if you just leave a healthy bearded dragon to just shed by itself naturally.

White Spots Due To Mites!

Some types of mites can irritate your bearded dragon as well as carry bacteria and viruses that may cause your bearded dragon’s skin to develop white patches.

This does tend to be rare but it is often overlooked due to most people presuming that the white patches are due to shedding.

Thankfully, you are able to easily identify the mites with a quick visual inspection of your bearded dragon’s skin as most mites are large enough to be seen by the human eye.

If you do see mites crawling around on your bearded dragon then you will have to take steps to clean your bearded dragon and its habitat as quickly as possible as mites can carry some very harmful viruses in addition to the bacteria that they hold too.

You are usually able to get most mites off your bearded dragon by giving it a warm water bath and the warm water can also help to soothe the bite areas of the mites on your bearded dragon while helping the irritated areas heal quicker.

This will help the skin to return to its normal healthy state quickly and help it return to its normal color with the white spots fading on your bearded dragon within potentially days once the mites are treat.

White Spots Due To Fungal Infections!

Although fungal infections are relatively common for bearded dragons, the white fungus that causes white spots is one of the rarer fungi.

The majority of the common fungi that can infect your bearded dragon will grow to be brown, black or a very dark green but although the white fungi is rare, it is very easy to treat.

You are usually able to identify the cause of the white spots on your bearded dragon as a fungal infection with ease as it does tend to be much easier to notice the difference in texture on your bearded dragons skin.

Although we would not recommend that you turn your finger or nail over the fungi on your bearded dragon, you can use an innate object to test if it will scrape off.

We would not recommend that you scrape much of the fungi off your bearded dragon though as the process can be painful but it should only be done if you need help confirming the diagnosis.

There are a number of fungal infection treatments available online that you are able to use to your advantage to quickly treat the infection on your bearded dragon with ease.

Conclusion

That brings our article going over how you are able to go about treating white spots on bearded dragons to an end. Thankfully, the majority of the time, the white spots are simply air gaps forming due to your bearded dragon starting to shed but even the fungal infections and mite issues are still pretty easy to treat. If you are a new bearded dragon then it can be a little worrying the first time you see the white spots form prior to a shed but this is totally natural for bearded dragons and it is nothing to worry about.