bearded dragon bath

Question
I just received my Dragon today from a friend, so my information may not be completely accurate; but here's what I know.  My dragon is approximately one to one and a half years old and over one foot long tip to tip.  His feces are runny and have made a mess on him and his cage and I was wondering what the safest way to wash the little guy was.  I need to wash his tail, body, and limbs; and I don't know if I should get him very wet or scrub him.  Are his bowel movements supposed to be like this?
Thank you

Answer
Hello Lindsay,

Well, if you just got your dragon from a friend & his stools were that messy, he most likely has parasites which will need to be treated.  Were they overly smelly?
To bathe him, just soak him in warm water up to his armpits, but do not leave him unattended in the water as he may not be used to water & could drown.  No need to use soap at all, just water!  You can use a soft toothbrush if needed, to scrub him down, but GENTLY.  
You will need to wipe the tank down also.  You can use a very diluted bleach solution or vinegar & water.  If you use a bleach solution make sure that ALL of the bleach residue is rinsed off thoroughly as any left behind leaves fumes when heated up & it could overcome him.
I recommend getting him all settled in to his new home, & watching him carefully.  Let his stress levels fall, as they do get stressed when they are moved.  After a couple of weeks,  if his stools are still bad I would get a fecal done on him, to get them tested for parasites & worms.  
Do you have the proper setup for him?  At one & one half years old, he is very small.  He should be at lesat 18 inches in length.  Is he thin?

Tracie