Bearded Dragon Issues

Question
I have acquired a 4 year old dragon and I am not sure of her health ... I have a 1 year old dragon and he is in a separate tank and in great health but the new one seems to have a pungent smell to her and I cannot figure out why? She eats well, i give both of them about 15 crickets every two days and salad twice a day i just don't know what else i should be doing ...

Answer
Hi Kelly,

I'm not aware of any condition that would affect their body odour to such an extent. Intestinal parasites will make their droppings quite foul smelling and generally runny but it doesn't sound like you are dealing with that. Are there any areas of her skin, toes or feet that appear off-colour or abnormal? Bacterial or fungal skin infections or areas of necrotic (dead) skin or tissue could potentially produce an odour but would be rather obvious.

You mentioned that you have recently acquired her. Is it possible that she was simply kept in un-hygienic conditions previously? The nature of their skin and scales will accumulate urates and droppings and dragons are not the most fastidious creatures when it comes to walking through their droppings!
She may simply need a bit of a bath. You can soak her in a small amount of tepid water and gently brush her down (especially her feet and belly) with a soft bristled tooth brush. That should loosen and remove any dried faeces under her scales.