Making sure that your bearded dragon is getting all of the right vitamins and minerals from their food is important in making sure that they remain strong and healthy.
It is vital that they are being fed the right foods, as the wrong foods could have a negative impact on their health.
Snacking is a common cause of weight gain, as snacking on unhealthy foods can cause your bearded dragon to become unwell and overweight.
Choosing healthy snacks to feed your bearded dragon will make sure that they are receiving the right vitamins to stay healthy and try new foods in their diets.
Apples are a staple in any household as they are easy to snack on and very healthy. As apples provide us with lots of essential nutrients, can bearded dragons eat them too?
Find out more about giving apples to bearded dragons as snacks and if they are healthy for them to eat.
Are Apples Healthy For Bearded Dragons To Eat?
You can try and give your bearded dragon some apples to see if they enjoy it, but it is important to remember that every bearded dragon is different.
Not all bearded dragons will like the taste of apples, so do not force them to eat them if they don’t want to. You can begin by peeling the apples and cutting them into small pieces for your bearded dragon to try.
If the pieces of apple are too big or have skin on them, this can lead to impaction, where the digestive tract is blocked and causing constipation.
Make sure that the pieces are small enough to be chewed properly by your bearded dragon.
If this is their first time trying apples, only feed them a small amount to make sure that their stomachs are not too sensitive.
Introducing apples as treats during the week won’t overwhelm their stomachs or affect their current food routine.
If your bearded dragon enjoys having the apple, you can also give them some fresh apple juice. Make sure that you dilute the juice in their water bowl, so it isn’t too rich for them, and then let them drink from the bowl.
The diluted apple juice is a good way to train your bearded dragon to drink domestically.
Make Sure That You Remove The Seeds
You must remember to remove the seeds of the apple before you serve it to your bearded dragon. Bearded dragons won’t be able to chew the apple seeds properly, so they would become a choking hazard.
It is also believed that the apple seeds are toxic to bearded dragons, so you want to remove them to make sure that your bearded dragons remain safe and healthy.
What Nutrients Do Apples Provide Bearded Dragons With?
Apples are extremely nutritious for your bearded dragons as they keep them hydrated and provide them with lots of vitamins.
As apples contain water, having apples can help to keep your bearded dragon hydrated, especially if they are unable to drink from their bowl.
You should still encourage them to drink from their bowls, but apples can provide them with some hydration.
Apples contain high levels of vitamin C, so your bearded dragon will be kept healthy. Having apples will make sure that they are being provided with the right vitamins.
How Often Should You Feed Bearded Dragons Apples?
It is recommended that you only serve bearded dragon apples as a treat as, despite apples having lots of nutrients, they are also high in sugar.
The sugar content in apples is good for a treat for bearded dragons, but having apples too regularly could cause them to become overweight and unhealthy.
The high sugar content in apples could cause your bearded dragons to experience sickness and diarrhea, so it is important not to give them apples too regularly.
You should also make sure that you do not feed your bearded dragon too much apple juice, as that is also high in sugar.
What Is The Right Diet For Your Bearded Dragon?
Feeding your bearded dragon the right diet is detrimental to making sure that they are happy and healthy. Bearded dragons are omnivores, which means that they eat a diet consisting of both plants and animals.
This diet provides your bearded dragon with all of the nutrients that they need to survive.
When bearded dragons are young, they will eat more insects than plants, but they will start to eat more plants than bugs when they grow older.
You will want to make sure that your bearded dragon has a diet of 20% insects and 80% plants when they are adults.
What Foods Should I Feed My Bearded Dragon?
There are lots of foods that you can feed your bearded dragon to keep them strong and healthy. You can also feed these foods to them
as treats or snacks as they are healthy and provide them with added vitamins that they may not get in their usual diets.
Figs
Figs are very nutritious to feed your bearded dragon to make sure that they are healthy. They have very high levels of calcium and fiber,
so feeding your bearded dragon figs will ensure that they are strong and not deficient in these vitamins. They are perfect for giving to your bearded dragon as a healthy snack.
Crickets
As bearded dragons are omnivores, they will enjoy having crickets as a snack or treat. They are very tasty treats
for your bearded dragon, so they can be used as treats if you are looking for food to reward your bearded dragon with.
Broccoli
Broccoli is high in protein and other minerals for your bearded dragon, but you should only give them broccoli occasionally.
Also, due to the size of broccoli florets, it is advised that you chop the broccoli into small pieces to avoid any choking hazards. Pieces that are too big may cause your bearded dragon to have digestive issues.
Papaya
This is a very popular snack for bearded dragons, but just remember that not all bearded dragons are the same, so not every bearded dragon will love this snack.
Papaya is an excellent source of fiber and contains lots of healthy vitamins and minerals. It is a great healthy snack to feed your bearded dragon.
Foods To Avoid Feeding Your Bearded Dragon
Although there are lots of healthy foods that you can feed your bearded dragon, there are also some foods that you should avoid.
These foods are low in nutritional value for your bearded dragon and could potentially be toxic to them.
Lettuce
Although lettuce may be a favorite with your bearded dragon, it doesn’t provide them with any nutritional benefits.
It isn’t toxic or poisonous to them, but it can cause them to have diarrhea if they are fed too much of it.
There are plenty of other delicious foods that you can feed your bearded dragon that provides them with plenty of nutrients.
Avocado
Avocados are high in oxalic acids, which can be poisonous to your bearded dragon. In high doses, the high levels could kill your bearded dragon, but small doses can cause them to be unwell and in pain. It is advised that you avoid feeding your bearded dragon avocado.
Beet Tops And Spinach
Beet tops and spinach are other green vegetables that are usually deemed safe to feed your bearded dragon, but they can prevent your bearded dragon from absorbing calcium.
If they cannot absorb calcium, they could develop metabolic bone disease, so it is advised that you avoid feeding these to your bearded dragon.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a very toxic food that can cause a lot of harm to your bearded dragon’s health. If rhubarb is eaten by your bearded dragon, it can cause them to become very unwell and damage their kidneys.
You should never feed it to your bearded dragon and take them to a vet if they accidentally eat some.
Fresh Water
Although a lot of the foods that bearded dragons are fed contain high levels of water, it is still recommended that you leave a bowl of fresh water inside their tank.
This will help them to keep hydrated, so make sure you leave it in there even if they do not usually drink from it.
The bowl should be cleaned every day and disinfected just in case your bearded dragon has decided to use the bowl as a toilet.
Changing the water every day will help them to stay hydrated, healthy, and free from harmful bacteria.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, bearded dragons enjoy having small pieces of apple in small doses, but make sure that you cut the pieces into small cubes. This will help your bearded dragon to easily digest the apple without choking.
You should also remove the skin of the apples as you do not want them to struggle to chew the apple.
There are lots of foods that you should not feed your bearded dragon as they can cause them harm, so you should always make sure that you are feeding them a healthy diet.
This will help them stay strong and healthy and reduce their risk of contracting diseases or illnesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Can I Only Feed My Bearded Dragon Apples Occasionally?
As apples are high in sugar, you mustn’t feed your bearded dragon too much of it. Too much sugar will cause them to become overweight, so you need to make sure that you are not giving them too many apples.
Feeding your bearded dragon small pieces of apple as a treat is healthy, but you shouldn’t be giving it to them all the time.
Is Lettuce Bad For Bearded Dragons?
Lettuce isn’t a bad or poisonous food for your bearded dragon, but it doesn’t offer them any nutritional benefits.
If you feed them too much lettuce, they will experience diarrhea, so it is best to avoid feeding it to them. There are lots of healthy snacks that you can feed your bearded dragon to give them more vitamins and minerals.
