Do you happen to have a bearded dragon as a pet? You do, ok. Then you must have faced the dilemma of what to feed them. Bearded dragons are unique pets with specific dietary needs.
As owners often consider incorporating common vegetables like carrots into their diet, it’s important to understand how these fit into a healthy feeding regimen.
This guide explores whether carrots are safe for bearded dragons, how frequently they should be fed, and the correct serving sizes.
We’ll also address potential health concerns like vitamin A toxicity and guide feeding practices to keep your bearded dragon healthy and happy.
Here we are going to answer just that along with a few more things like:
If did not know, bearded dragons are natives of Australia. In Australia, they are mainly found in the deserts. You just can’t feed your bearded dragon carrots like that; they are exotic pets, they cost a lot of money, and the enclosures for them are also not cheap.
On top of all that you don’t want it to get sick right?
Now, here comes the main theory!
carrots don’t grow in deserts naturally. This means that carrots are not their natural food. It does not mean you can’t feed your bearded dragon carrots. It is advisable to give only a small quantity.
Wondering, what does small quantity mean? Keep reading!
Most vets suggest that your bearded dragon’s diet should consist of more veggies and a considerable number of insects. The exact ratio should be 80:20.
This means that you can put a normal-sized carrot in the diet without worrying much. The rest of the diet can have veggies and insects in the ratio mentioned above.
As to the frequency of feeding carrots, once or twice a week is ok, and if you are still wondering if you can feed them every day, here is the information you quickly need!
If you give carrots every day to your dragon, chances are it may get weak, dehydrated, swell, and lose weight. The combined effect can also be fatal!
And so, it is not. Give small quantities once or twice a week for the benefits we just mentioned.
The following are the benefits of carrots for your dragon:
These benefits only show when carrots are given only once or twice a week.
Next, we tell you,
When it comes to carrots, all colors of carrots contain the same amount of Vitamin A.
This means you can feed your bearded dragon all kinds of carrots but only once or twice a week and that too in small quantities.
Now you might want to know if should you leave out a certain part of the carrot when feeding your bearded dragon. In the next section, we tell you exactly that.
As we told you earlier, small quantities of carrots are ok for your bearded dragon. That also includes carrot peels.
It is better if you grate the carrot with its skin on and add it to your dragon’s diet.
Now we come to the final question,
A carrot top has high levels of oxalates. Now in your bearded dragon, oxalates are known to prevent calcium from getting into their bloodstream.
A lack of calcium can cause MBD and/or kidney stones in your dragon. So, avoid carrot tops but if you wish, one a month or so is ok.
Now we come to the question of how to feed them carrots.
It is best for your bearded dragon that eats its carrots raw. A cooked carrot is also good enough but it loses some of its qualities.
When given raw carrots, they receive the best benefits from them. Exactly what benefits? Read on to find out that and more.
As you might have seen, feeding carrots to your dragon is a bit doubtful.
So, you must be wondering,
Here is a table that tells what all you can feed your bearded dragon.
| Insects | Fruits | Veggis | Leaves |
| Crickets | Figs | Peas | Spring greens |
| Kingworms | Watermelon | Green beans | Floret mix |
| Waxworms | Apples | Courgette | Lambs lettuce |
| Earthworms | Mango | Butternut squash | Kale |
| Cockroaches | Papaya | Sweet potato | Collards |
| Locusts | Dates | Bell pepper | Parsley |
| Butterworms | Peaches | Ocra | Clover |
| Silkworms | Apricots | Broccoli | Dandelion greens |
| Phoenix worms | Plums | Acorn squash | Turnip greens |
| Dubai roaches | Kiwi | Cabbage | Mustard greens |
| Morioworms | Pears | Kohlrabi | Endive |
| Mealworms | Strawberries | Parsnip | Rocket |
| Superworms | Raspberries | Pak choi | Coriander |
| Blueberries | Yellow squash | Watercress | |
| Guava | Asparagus | Dandelion | |
| Grapes | Okra | Catsear | |
| Raisins | Swiss chad | Dead nettle | |
| Plantain |
One thing to note is that you should feed your bearded dragon from a bowl. That is so because most bearded dragon enclosures have sand in them to replicate their natural habitat.
If you give them food on the sand, chances are there that they might eat a bit of sand too. Sand is indigestible and throughout a long time, the sand can accumulate in the body and cause the blood streams to get blocked.
So, always feed your bearded dragon from a bowl.
Coming back, there are so many alternatives that you can avoid carrots completely if you like. It is not only carrots that you should avoid though.
Apart from carrots, there are a whole lot of foods that you should avoid. Here is the list of food items that you should avoid giving to your bearded dragon:
Feeding these items can seriously make your bearded dragon very ill. To ensure its long life, avoid the above-mentioned food items that all costs.
It does not matter whose babies they are; babies always require extra care and so do the babies of bearded dragons.
Juvenile bearded dragons can have carrots but in even smaller quantities. Larger amounts can kill babies due to Vitamin A toxicity faster.
Their main diet should have insects in large amounts as they need the protein to grow. Also, your baby bearded dragon will need to eat three times a day.
Now carrots also come in many varieties. Which ones should you feed your dragon? All?
When it comes to carrots, all colors of carrots contain the same amount of Vitamin A.
This means you can feed your bearded dragon all kinds of carrots but only once or twice a week and that too in small quantities.
Now you might want to know if should you leave out a certain part of the carrot when feeding your bearded dragon. In the next section, we tell you exactly that.
A carrot top has high levels of oxalates. Now in your bearded dragon, oxalates are known to prevent calcium from getting into their bloodstream.
A lack of calcium can cause MBD and/or kidney stones in your dragon. So, avoid carrot tops but if you wish, one a month or so is ok.
Now we come to the question of how to feed them carrots.
It is best for your bearded dragon that eats its carrots raw. A cooked carrot is also good enough but it loses some of its qualities.
When given raw carrots, they receive the best benefits from them. Exactly what benefits? Read on to find out that and more.
Now we come to the last section which tells you about alternatives and things to avoid feeding your bearded dragon.
We have covered everything we could on the topic of bearded dragons. Let’s wrap it up now.
We hope that you enjoyed reading our special on can-bearded dragons eating carrots. We have tried to address every possible issue you might have with feeding carrots to your bearded dragon.
As you must have understood, carrots can be beneficial for your bearded dragon but only when given in small quantities and only weekly. Don’t hesitate to try out the alternatives we have suggested for you. Avoid the items we told you to.
Follow all that we have said and your bearded dragon should remain healthy. If any problem does happen, immediately take it to the vet. Get it insured to be on the safer side. Buy insects for it only from certified reptile shops.
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