Do Bearded Dragons Smell Bad? I Learned The Hard Way

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Pet owners understand the struggle of keeping their homes stink-free, and the battle can be inevitable in some cases. If you’d like to know what your nose is up against before bringing your bearded dragon home, this guide will answer all your questions on effectively managing and preventing odors. But first, let’s tackle the most obvious concern.

Naturally, bearded dragons do not smell bad unless they’re poorly cared for. Poor hygiene and illnesses can lead to dirt buildup, which is normally the source of bad odors. However, their poop can smell horrendous, especially after they’ve had a proteinous meal.

Let’s explore this further.

main reasons why bearded dragons smell bad

Why Does My Beardie Smell So Bad? 5 Major Reasons

Bearded dragons innately have no body smell to reduce the chances of predators tracking them in the wild. So, if your bearded dragon is smelly, here are some reasons why that could be happening:

1. Crickets

Crickets smell bad, worse than your healthy pet on a normal day. You can even mistakenly attribute the smell to your bearded dragon instead. When I first bred feeder crickets, I was completely stunned by the smell. If I hadn’t bred them in an entirely different corner, I’d have suspected my beardie before considering the possibility of funky-smelling bugs.

2. The Enclosure

Food smells bad when it rots, especially when it’s kept in a tight enclosure over time. You might have forgotten a few smelly crickets or vegetables in your dragon’s enclosure. Take a peek around and lift the items to ensure there are no leftovers. If you find any, remove your pet from the enclosure, followed by the rotten food. Then thoroughly clean the stained spots and let the enclosure air out for a few minutes.

3. There’s Beardie Poop Hiding Somewhere

The smell of beardie poop can be quite unexpected for new bearded dragon owners. Beardies excrete awfully smelly poop because they feed on bugs that require several enzymatic processes to digest and metabolize. In turn, the end product can be nose-wrecking, and even worse if your dragon has parasites.

To put this into perspective, even beardies themselves hate the smell of their poop. Whenever I notice my dragon surfing the glass demanding to be let out, there’s a proper chance it’s left a massive gift in there for me.

4. Parasitic Infections

Bearded dragons can carry parasites and sometimes, they can go undetected until they begin to multiply. Parasitic infections are primarily the causes of suspiciously smelly poop and can be fatal to bearded dragons if left untreated.

If your pet’s poop is smellier than necessary or looks tinted with reds or yellows, contact your vet for a professional evaluation. The longer it goes untreated, the worse it gets for your beardie. And quite frankly, the more expensive treatment becomes.

5. The Enclosure Itself Has Gone Stale

It’s difficult to prevent your bearded dragon’s tank from smelling bad if the flooring retains waste particles and moisture like wooden slabs or carpets.

Removing the poop in this case can be inadequate in eradicating lingering smells. Consider switching to easy-to-clean flooring like rough-surface tiles or newspapers that make spot cleaning and replacement easier. While these options are not ideal for proper and long-term housing, they can be practical for baby and juvenile dragons that eat and poop more frequently.

how to get rid of your bearded dragon's bad smell

Easy Tips to Get Rid of Lingering Beardie Smell

There are safe ways to manage the bad odor coming from your bearded dragon’s enclosure, such as follows:

Practice Good Hygiene

Good hygiene is crucial for keeping your beardie healthy and its enclosure stench-free. Without proper sanitation, your pet can fall sick from the bacteria and fungi that thrive in dirty environments.
Use the following routines:

Daily Beardie Hygiene

The daily hygiene involves removing waste from the enclosure, cleaning soiled surfaces with a reptile-safe cleaning agent (view on Amazon), and disinfecting the area with a disinfectant (view on Amazon).

Baby and juvenile beardies poop daily, so you’d need to clean accordingly. In contrast, adult dragons poop every other day, which means less cleaning for you. In fact, they may notoriously prefer to poop outside their enclosures, oftentimes on tables, sofas, and rugs.

Weekly Beardie Hygiene

This entails replacing the substrate or flooring with a fresh, clean one especially if you’re using newspapers. For carpets, scrub clean with disinfectant to remove dirt built-up and bacteria. If you are using loose soil, scoop out the dirty top layer from the tank and replace it with a fresh soil mix. This can be done every other week.

Monthly Beardie Hygiene

Wipe the surfaces of the tank with a reptile-safe cleaning agent. This includes all sides of the tank, the roof, and the floor if it’s accessible. Clean and disinfect decor like rocks and extras with a toothbrush to get between the cracks, especially if your beardie poops on them.

Use An Easy-Maintenance Substrate

The substrate is a big determinant of hygiene. Opt for flooring types like newspapers and paper towels, which can be easily replaced, or tiles that allow you to effectively wipe and sanitize stained spots. Additionally, while loose substrates like soil mixes are absorbent, they let you simply scoop out the polluted areas and replace them with fresh material.

Feed Your Bearded Dragon A Healthy Diet

Your beardie’s diet affects how badly its poop smells. If it’s eating too much protein, its poop will be highly concentrated, and thus, smelly. Here’s a brief description of what your beardie’s diet should be depending on its age:

AGEFraction in Percent (Bugs & Veggies)Number of Insects
0 to 2 months (Baby dragon)70/3025 – 50/day
3 to 6 months (Juvenile)70/3025 – 50/day
7 to 9 months (Pre-Adult)60/4020/day
10+ months (Adult)30/7010/day

Ensure That Your Pet Is Hydrated

Hydration is necessary to keep the body healthy and effective. It also plays a huge role in digestion and excretion. If your bearded dragon is dehydrated, it may contract a digestive illness that is both unpleasantly smelling and dangerous to its health.

To ensure your dragon stays properly hydrated, bathe it in clean water occasionally and provide fresh water in its dish. However, be mindful of humidity levels; leaving water in the tank all day can raise the humidity too high, which can lead to respiratory problems.

Can I Spray Perfume or Air Fresheners In My Beardie’s Tank?

Spraying any sort of chemical fragrances inside your bearded dragon’s tank is highly dangerous. It can affect its eyes and cause a respiratory infection. Only use reptile-safe products or homemade solutions like water and vinegar to clean your beardie’s tank. Optionally, you can use a reptile deodorizer (view on Amazon) to minimize bad odors as it’s the safer and healthier option.

Photo of author

Medi

EL Mehdi (Medi), the founder and voice behind Desired Reptiles, renowned for his dedication to bearded dragons. As a passionate reptile enthusiast, Medi has developed a solid background in caring for these lovely creatures. He gained extensive knowledge about their diet, behavior, and how to create environments that mimic their natural habitat