If you are a loving pet owner, then you know that bringing some variety to your pet’s diet is a must if you want your pet to be both happy and healthy.
However, finding alternative sources of food for your pet can be stressful as there are so many things that could be potentially dangerous and deadly to your precious pet.
Research must be thorough in order to avoid any disasters, but not everyone has time to research their pet’s diet for hours and because of this, many pets often end up eating the same meal day after day.
The same goes for Bearded Dragons – there are a lot of different foods that Bearded Dragons can eat but many owners do not have the time to research what is okay for their pet to eat. That is where we come in.
Here we are going to be going through what Bearded Dragons can and cannot eat with particular focus on the main bulk of their diet – protein.
Bearded Dragons need a lot of meat and protein in their diet but does this mean that you can give them eggs to eat?
Find the answer out here!
A Bearded Dragon’s Diet
Bearded Dragons are known for being one of the few species of lizards with such a diverse diet.
They are capable of eating lots of different kinds of food including meat, fruit, vegetables, greens and weeds – but that does not mean you can just give a Bearded Dragon anything and they will be able to eat it without suffering from discomfort and indigestion.
While Bearded Dragons can eat a wide range of food, there are definitely a few that need to be avoided – but are eggs one of them?
Well, a lot of owners may be tempted to turn to eggs as an alternative source of protein for their Bearded Dragon. Bearded Dragons eat meat and it takes up a huge chunk of their diet – at least 75% in fact!
As Bearded Dragons grow older and they move around less, they require less energy and so you can swap out portions of meat in their diet for less nutritional plant-based foods like greens and vegetables.
However, younger Bearded Dragons need to eat a lot of meat to give them enough energy to grow healthily and keep active.
This is why a lot of Bearded Dragon owners want to know more about alternative sources of protein they can give their Bearded Dragons.
It makes up such a huge chunk of their diet for most of their lives and feeding them the same crickets all the time would be so boring for them – so is it okay to swap out a few crickets for a boiled egg instead?
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Eggs?
Eggs are actually very nutritious and high in protein. The yolk contains essential vitamins and minerals which help build strong bones, muscles and organs.
It also provides calcium which helps strengthen the teeth and bones and aids in digestion – but these are all benefits felt by humans. Does the same apply for Bearded Dragons?
So the answer is yes – Bearded Dragons can eat eggs just not often.
The truth is that you can feed your Bearded Dragon up to half a chicken egg every other week but it should not be given as a part of their daily or even weekly diet.
However, there are many benefits to going that extra mile and giving your Bearded Dragon a little egg once a month as it is a great source of protein and other important nutrients.
Although eggs are a great source of protein, your Bearded Dragon will already get a lot of protein from the other foods that they eat like crickets and cockroaches.
However, simply feeding your Bearded Dragon a single egg instead of the correct daily amount of crickets will leave them hungry even if it gives them enough protein for the day.
Just like how you cannot survive on protein shakes and vitamin tablets, a Bearded Dragon cannot live on eggs alone – they need a wide variety in their diet and eat plenty of food to be both happy and healthy.
The Benefits Of Feeding Your Bearded Dragon Eggs
You may be wondering if it is even worth going through all the trouble of preparing half an egg for your Bearded Dragon every few weeks, but there are actually a few great benefits to going the extra mile for your Bearded Dragon.
The main benefit is protein. Young Bearded Dragons in particular need a lot of protein and it’s an important nutrient to include as much as you can when they are young.
Protein is needed for proper growth and development so your Bearded Dragon can have strong bones and a healthy immune system.
Eggs are also a great source of energy and encourage the Bearded Dragon’s muscles and organs to function properly.
Also, eggs are a great source of vitamin D for your Bearded Dragons. They use this vitamin to process calcium, which is key to forming strong bones.
Without enough vitamin D, Bearded Dragons can grow soft bones and be more prone to injury and deformation so owners are always on the hunt for good sources of vitamin D and calcium to give to their Bearded Dragons.
So, giving your Bearded Dragon half a chicken egg every few weeks helps stop them from developing a painful condition called metabolic bone disease (also known as MBD for short).
Eggs are also a source of vitamin A for Bearded Dragons and this helps their skin to grow strong and healthy plus it gives a boost to their immune system.
Eggs also contain vitamin B12 which helps the brain to function and boosts their metabolism, and also iron which is another great nutrient to help with development.
Why You Can’t Feed A Bearded Dragon’s Eggs Often
With all these benefits, you may be wondering if it’s really a bad thing to give your Bearded Dragon a whole chicken egg or half a chicken egg every week – but too much of a good thing can have a negative impact on your Bearded Dragon’s health.
We touched on earlier that a Bearded Dragon will already have enough protein from eating insects which also fills their tummies up.
Eggs are harmless to Bearded Dragons a little here and there, but half an egg will not be sufficient for their daily diet.
Not only this, but eggs are very rich and feeding your Bearded Dragon too much egg will lead to other health issues including diabetes, obesity, and heart failure.
All of these are side effects of a diet that contains too much protein and your poor Bearded Dragon will be making themselves sick by eating too much egg.
Think of eggs as the candy for Bearded Dragons – small amounts here and there will not impact your Bearded Dragon’s health negatively but feeding them eggs every single day will cause problems.
The same thing happens if you were to eat candy every day.
The only time a vet may recommend you feed your Bearded Dragon egg more frequently is if they are picky eaters and are not taking too well to feeder insects.
Instead of leaving your Bearded Dragon to be malnourished because they won’t eat the food you give them, a little extra egg is a great way to make sure that they are getting the nutrients they need even when they are turning their nose up to the feeder insects.
However, if your Bearded Dragon is happily munching away on other sources of protein, then only give them the egg as a rare treat.
How To Feed Your Bearded Dragon Egg
So, if you are thinking of serving up some egg to your Bearded Dragon, you are probably now wondering how to serve it. Can Bearded Dragons eat eggs raw or cooked? Is scrambled or boiled better? What about eggshells?
Well, Bearded Dragons should not eat raw eggs. Raw eggs are carriers of bacteria that can make us ill when eaten raw and the same goes with Bearded Dragons.
Serving your Bearded Dragon raw egg could make them seriously ill and perhaps even fatally ill so it’s best not to run the risk and just make sure that you always properly cook the egg before feeding some to your Bearded Dragon.
When cooking the egg, you can scramble the egg or feed your Bearded Dragon a hard-boiled egg as long as the egg is cut up into lots of tiny pieces.
It’s also important to remember not to add anything to the egg as you cook it – no milk, no oil, no seasoning, no spices, no cooking spray, nothing! Only feed your Bearded Dragon plain cooked egg.
This is because any of the above things are sure to give your Bearded Dragon an upset stomach as they cannot tolerate dairy and do not react well with oils.
Remember that you can only give your Bearded Dragon chicken egg and portions should only be half an egg at maximum.
You should not give your Bearded Dragon any eggshells either because they can carry harmful bacteria and they can also be very sharp.
This means that they can scratch the insides of your Bearded Dragon up and cause impaction or choking.
So, don’t be tempted to give your bearded dragon any eggshells for extra calcium.
Instead, you can get calcium powders to cover your Bearded Dragon’s food with so they can receive a boost of calcium even when not eating eggs!
Conclusion
So while Bearded Dragons like to eat eggs, you must ensure that you keep your Bearded Dragons healthy and happy by ensuring that they are fed a balanced diet.
Bearded Dragons should only eat eggs as a treat every few weeks and even then, they should only be given half a chicken egg at the most.
Remember to cook it plainly and ensure it is free from pieces of eggshell, and your Bearded Dragon is sure to munch it down in no time!
