Bearded dragons, beloved for their friendly nature and unique appearance, need careful attention to their nutrition to ensure their health. While insects and greens make up the bulk of their diet, offering treats like apples can be a welcome change of pace.
This article will investigate “Can Bearded Dragons Eat Apples”, what size apples these reptiles should be fed, what benefits apples provide to their diet, how to feed apples to them safely, and what other fruits and vegetables can meet their nutritional requirements.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Apples and Apple Seeds?
Apples are a delicious and nutritious complement to a bearded dragon’s diet, thus yes, they can be eaten by your pet. Apples are a great addition to a healthy diet, but they should be served in moderation.
Bearded dragon owners frequently wonder if it’s okay to give their pets apple seeds.
Twenty percent of an adult bearded dragon’s food should come from insects, while eighty percent should come from plants, with approximately ten to twenty percent coming from fruit. Since bearded dragons can eat apples, it’s important to keep an eye on how much they’re eating.
Benefits of Apples
Apples are a nutrient-rich snack that provides various benefits to both people and bearded dragons. Here are some key advantages of including apples in your dragon’s diet:
- Vitamins A and C: These vitamins support your dragon’s immune system, vision, reproduction, and growth.
- Fiber: Apples are rich in fiber, which aids in digestion and helps prevent constipation.
- Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates in apples provide energy for your bearded dragon.
- Potassium: Apples contain potassium, which regulates blood pressure, supports muscle function, prevents kidney issues, and reduces water retention.
- Iron: Iron in apples assists in the smooth transport of oxygen in the blood.
- Water Content: Apples have a high water content, contributing to your dragon’s hydration.
It’s important to note that as long as your bearded dragon doesn’t consume too many apples (typically once a week or less), they can be a nutritious addition to their diet.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Green and Red Apples?
Both green and red apples are safe for your bearded dragon to consume. While they have some nutritional differences, both colors are suitable options. However, remember to remove the peel from both green and red apples before feeding them to your dragon.
Do Bearded Dragons Eat Apple Peels?
Bearded dragons should never consume apple peels. Apple peels pose a choking hazard and can be difficult for your dragon to chew. Moreover, apple peels may contain chemicals from pesticides and other sprays, which can be harmful to bearded dragons. Whenever possible, opt for organic fruits and vegetables when feeding your dragon.
Why bearded dragons should not be given apples all the time
While apples offer various health benefits, feeding them too frequently can harm your bearded dragon for several reasons:
- Excess Sugar: Apples contain a significant amount of sugar, which can lead to tooth decay, obesity, fatty liver disease, and even diabetes if consumed regularly.
- Health Issues: A diet high in sugar can cause health problems similar to those in humans, including heart failure. Source: dragonsdiet
To maintain your dragon’s long-term health, it’s crucial to limit their sugar intake.
How Can Bearded Dragons Eat Apples?
Feeding apples to your bearded dragon requires some preparation and monitoring to ensure their safety:
- Peel the Apple: Start by thoroughly peeling the apple.
- Slice into Small Pieces: Slice the outermost flesh of the apple into very small, thin pieces to prevent choking hazards.
- Remove Seeds and Core: Check to ensure there are no seeds, stem, or pieces of the core left in the apple slices. These can cause gut impaction, a potentially deadly condition.
- Serve with Care: Offer the prepared apple slices to your dragon alone or alongside other vegetables. Keep a close eye on your reptile to ensure they can comfortably consume the pieces.
Other Fruits and Vegetables Your Bearded Dragon Can Consume
Fruits:-
- Apples
- Apricots
- Apricots
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Dates
- Figs
- Grapes
- Guava
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Melon
- Papaya
- Peaches
- Pears
- Plums
- Raisins
- Strawberries
Vegetables:-
- Acorn squash
- Asparagus
- Bell pepper
- Bok choi
- Broccoli (in small amounts)
- Butternut squash
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Celery
- Courgette
- Green beans
- Kohlrabi
- Ocra
- Okra
- Parsnip
- Peas
- Sweet potato
- Yellow squash
Avoid feeding these foods to your bearded dragon:
- You shouldn’t feed your bearded dragon lettuce or any other greens that contain the word “lettuce” because they are primarily water and won’t provide enough nutrition. Give them leafy greens with greater substance, such kale or collards.
- Calcium binds to oxalates, and there are a lot of oxalates in spinach, thus you shouldn’t eat it. Bearded dragons can’t absorb calcium very well, therefore giving them spinach will reduce the amount of calcium in their diet. In order to absorb calcium from their food, bearded dragons require specialized UVB light for vitamin D3 synthesis.
- You should never feed your bearded dragon any insects that you obtained in the wild since they may be infected with parasites or contain traces of poisons or pesticides.
- Any glowing bug, such as a firefly, can be fatal to a reptile. Within 15 minutes to an hour after consuming fireflies, bearded dragons may experience breathing difficulties. They also have the ability to display head shaking and retching. Their skin coloration can go as dark as black. Heart failure can be fatal in reptiles in a matter of minutes. Fireflies create a steroid molecule called lucibufagins as a defense mechanism to make themselves unattractive to predators; this substance is responsible for the toxicity of fireflies to reptiles. This chemical is a close relative of the substance they manufacture that causes their luminescence.
- Due to their high oxalic acid concentration, avocados can also be harmful to bearded dragons.
Conclusion
In conclusion, bearded dragons can benefit from eating apples in moderation, but it’s important to be careful and avoid overfeeding. To supplement their regular diet of insects and greens, you can offer them some apples without the pits as a special treat.
If you follow these rules and provide your bearded dragon a healthy food, you can help it thrive and be happy. In this article, we have given information about “Can Bearded Dragons Eat Apples.” I hope you like it.