How Long Can Bearded Dragons Go Without Water?

You have probably noticed that bearded dragons can go quite some time without touching their food and water. But you might wonder how long bearded dragons can go without water.

Since Bearded Dragons are used to the very dry and hot environment in Australia, they are used to be dehydrated quite often. They can probably go for a few days to a week or two without water, but you should avoid this as much as possible.

However, there are many ways for you to be able to keep your bearded dragon happy and hydrated. If you notice that your bearded dragon looks dehydrated, you should definitely give it some water and, if it is really bad, take it to the vet.

Now, let’s get into different ways to give your bearded dragon water.

How Long Bearded Dragons Can Go Without Water

As we mentioned, bearded dragons are naturally adapted to withstand dry desertish conditions, but the rules are a little bit different for them if you’re going to keep one as a pet.

All animals can live longer without food than they can without water. You should ideally give your bearded dragon fresh water every day, but there might be circumstances prohibiting this, such as your bearded dragon got lost, the power went out, or it simply won’t take any water.

Many people have differing opinions on how long a bearded dragon can live without water. Some have claimed that their bearded dragons went missing for two weeks and were only dehydrated when they found their pet.

However, it isn’t recommended that a bearded dragon goes for longer than a few days or a week without getting some sort of hydration.

Ways to Give Your Bearded Dragon Water

One of the most interesting things about bearded dragons is that they won’t necessarily take water in the same way that your other pets would- by lapping water from a bowl. While some will, your bearded dragon might not realize that the water bowl you have provided for it is for drinking.

You might see that your bearded dragon is “soaking” in the water bowl you provided for it. This is another great way for it to get water.

However, you will want to keep a close eye on this water bowl, because your bearded dragon will often defecate in it, and you don’t want to keep the dirty water in its cage. You should change out the water bowl every day.

Another way that bearded dragons will get hydration is through the vegetables you provide it since most of the content in those is made up of water. If you take your bearded dragon outside, you might notice it licking dew drops off of plants, too.

One way that many bearded dragon owners find their beardies enjoy getting water is through misting them. This involves spraying water onto your bearded dragon and allowing it to lap up the water that way. Be careful not to spray so much that their tank gets too wet.

Some other people purchase water drippers, which will, essentially, drip water into your bearded dragon’s bowl or onto a plant. Then, the beardie will drink the water as it needs.

You need to be careful about providing your bearded dragon with too much water, however, whether that be from actual water or from vegetables because bearded dragons can get diarrhea, which will cause them to get dehydrated.

As you see, the way to give water to bearded dragons is a lot different than for other animals.

Dehydration

If you suspect that your bearded dragon is dehydrated, the best thing to do is to take it to the vet. While it may be possible that your bearded dragon simply needs water, what may seem like dehydration could be an underlying symptom of something else.

You will want to get that checked out and clarified before attempting to self-diagnose.

With that being said, here are the most common signs to look for in your bearded dragon if you suspect dehydration.

Skin becomes wrinkled

The first way you can notice if your bearded dragon is dehydrated is if its skin is wrinkly. While a younger bearded dragon typically does have wrinkly skin, it’s also a sign of dehydration. If you’re not sure, you can (very lightly) pinch the bearded dragon’s skin and release.

If you notice that the skin hasn’t returned to its original position almost immediately, it means that your bearded dragon is likely dehydrated.

Eyes are sunken in

Another common way that bearded dragons display dehydration is with sunken eyes. However, it is not always dehydration that this indicates, which is why it is important that you go to the vet.

Darkness in urates

Urates are the white things that come out with your bearded dragon’s defecation. If you notice that the urates are an orangey or yellow color instead of white, this could also indicate dehydration.

Again, you should take your bearded dragon to the vet if you notice these symptoms. And, don’t try to force feed your bearded dragon all at once; simply give it some water very slowly. Otherwise, your bearded dragon could face some serious problems.

Reasons Why Your Bearded Dragon Isn’t Eating/Drinking

Before taking your bearded dragon to the vet, there are some things you might want to check out yourself to see if you’ve done anything wrong.

For one, your bearded dragon might not be eating due to the fact that you’ve changed its environment. Whether this is because you changed its cage, you moved its cage, or you just purchased your bearded dragon, it could simply be getting used to a new environment and is scared.

Wait a few days to see if there are any changes.

The temperature of the tank might also be off. It is important for you to keep this in check as often as possible.

There could also be a number of other reasons why your bearded dragon might not be eating or drinking, such as stress, brumation, or they simply don’t like their food.

Related Questions

Why isn’t my bearded dragon drinking water? Bearded dragons won’t always notice that the water bowl in their tank is meant for drinking. This is because water in the wild is not unmoving; it usually is in the form of rain or running water. There may also be underlying issues, which you should check with the vet.

Do bearded dragons absorb water through their skin? No. Bearded dragons will absorb water through their vent (where they defecate from) or through their mouth. When you spray the bearded dragon with water or when it soaks in water, it absorbs the water through one of these means.

How long can bearded dragons go without food? A healthy and strong bearded dragon can potentially go for up to two months without eating food. However, you should absolutely avoid this. They can go for a few days without eating, and you might notice this depending on their behavior.