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Bearded dragons are one of the most popular reptile pets in the world. This is largely due to their ease of care and maintenance.
These hardy lizards make excellent pets for beginners and experienced herp lovers alike.
A big part of being a bearded dragon owner is grooming your pet. Bearded dragons will need regular cleaning, especially when it comes to a couple of key areas like their femoral pores and ears.
In this article, we’ll cover how you can clean your bearded dragon’s clogged pores.
What should bearded dragon femoral pores look like?

Before you deep-clean your bearded dragon’s pores, it’s important to know what they should look like. If your bearded dragon’s femoral pores are clogged or irritated, we recommend taking them to a vet for medical treatment.
When femoral pores are clear and open, bearded dragons can use them for marking their territory (among other things).
But if the pores appear irritated or swollen—or if there is a yellowish, waxy discharge coming from them—your beardie may be suffering from an infection and require antibiotic medication. It is especially worrisome if the skin around the obstructed pore appears red and inflamed.
As with any infectious situation in your home, here are some tips on how to reduce the risk of transmission:
- Wash your hands when you’ve finished working with your pet, and always before handling food.
- Keep surfaces clean and disinfected.
- Because these infections can be extremely contagious, avoid wiping down the tank or anything else in which your sick lizard has come into contact with bleach solutions (such as Clorox wipes) until after you have visited a veterinarian and received instructions on how to proceed.
How to clean bearded dragon femoral pores?
Cleaning a bearded dragon’s femoral pores is only slightly more challenging than the ear pores. Like with the ear and nose pores, have your Q-Tip or cotton swab handy in warm water.
You are going to need to gently roll back the skin in order to get access to the clogged pores deep within your pet’s body. Be very careful not to damage your bearded dragon’s skin when doing this as it can lead to some serious health issues.
Bearded dragons have a unique feature that is not found in any other lizards or reptiles: their femoral pores. These tiny holes can be found on each side of their hind legs, underneath their scales. They produce secretions that allow them to communicate with other dragons through pheromones.
You’ll want to clean these holes periodically so they don’t get clogged up or infected.
Remove your bearded dragon from its enclosure so it can’t escape while you’re cleaning its pheromone glands. It’s best to do this during a warm time of day when your pet won’t be as active and agitated as usual. To access the pheromones, use a toothbrush or cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution.
Gently scrub away any debris or dirt that may be in. Once you have successfully cleaned all of your beardie’s femoral pores, you’ll need to pat him or her down with a soft towel before returning them back into their enclosure.
Please exercise caution when drying off and never use any heat source such as a blow dryer because it can cause severe burns if accidentally left on too long.
VIDEO: How to clean femoral pores
Are you supposed to pop bearded dragon pores?
It may be tempting, but popping bearded dragon pores is a bad idea.
Bearded dragons have pores that hold sebum, which needs to be released into the atmosphere through the skin.
Popping these pores just blocks the natural process of sebum release and traps bacteria in your reptile’s body.
Learn More:
How to Clean Infected Femoral Pores?
If your beardie has an infection in its femoral pores, it may be uncomfortable.
To clean an infected femoral area on a bearded dragon, first, use a warm washcloth to gently clean the area.
If there is debris in the pores, it will come out with some gentle pressure. You can also try using a q-tip or a soft toothbrush to loosen any dirt and debris inside the pore.
If cleaning doesn’t make the infection go away, take your beardie to see a veterinarian who specializes in reptiles so that he can give him antibiotics for the infection.
In extreme cases, an abscess may form which would require treatment from a vet including draining any pus and removing infected tissue if necessary.
How to unclog bearded dragon pores?

Because the bearded dragon’s pores are packed with fat, you need to work out this fat first.
This will be done with some warm water. You can either dampen a cotton swab or use a warm wet cloth or washcloth.
After this, you must rub the area with these things. Rubbing is a very effective way of getting rid of dirt and oil from any part of the body including that of your bearded dragon.
As soon as the infection has gone away, you should take steps to keep it away for good.
In other words, do not allow your bearded dragon to get infected again in the future, and if it does then treat it immediately before it gets worse than before.
How to squeeze femoral pores?
To clean out the femoral pores, watch out for lubrication.
You must get close to your bearded dragon, and even then sometimes they will squirm away from you, so be gentle while handling your pet.
At the same time, you need to make sure that the area is wet enough in order for proper cleaning.
You can use a cotton ball soaked in warm water to clean their skin first.
Then use a Q-tip to gently squeeze the femoral pores and scrape away any excess sebum or dirt built upon them.
If there are no blockages, then you must move on to other parts of the body like nails and teeth as mentioned above in this guide.
How to clean clogged femoral pores?
When your bearded dragon has clogged femoral pores, you’ll want to wash the area with a warm wet towel.
You can also use a cotton swab or toothpick to gently remove any hardened waste buildup.
You may also try a hot compress and very mild soap (be sure not to use harsh soaps on your dragon). Be gentle during this process, as their skin is soft and delicate.
How to clean lizard spots?

Once your bearded dragon has been soaked, it’s time to get the spots cleaned.
- Use a damp towel or cloth (or cotton swab) on each spot around the mouth and eyes. Be careful not to get water in the beardie’s eyes, which can result in infections.
- Be sure to disinfect any cleaning supplies you use so that they don’t spread infection between dragons or other animals.
- If your beardie will tolerate it, you may want to clean its spots after every bath as well. This ensures that they don’t develop infections from dirty water trapped inside them during bathing sessions.
How to remove clogged pores on a bearded dragon?
You should clean your bearded dragon’s pores as a part of their regular grooming routine.
The frequency that you clean the pores depends on your dragon’s skin and health condition.
Some dragons only need cleaning once per month, while some may need to be cleaned more frequently due to skin problems or other health issues.
It is better to use a soft toothbrush when cleaning your bearded dragon’s pores because it can easily reach small areas of the body without causing any irritation on the skin.
Here are some tips for keeping your beardie in top shape:
Keep them hydrated
especially if they’re dehydrated already! Use fresh water daily and mist them with water at least twice a week (more if possible). This helps with shedding too!
Make sure they get plenty of sunshine or UVB light exposure during daylight hours
this will help prevent diseases like MBD (metabolic bone disease) which can cause deformities or even death.