Bearded Dragon Food | Beardiebunch.com

A bearded dragon can be your unique pet. They are also called Pogona vitticeps. This reptile can be a good option if you want a mellow temperament and long lifespan pet. However, you must have responsible ownership for their excellent health. This includes feeding them the right foods to help them enjoy a happy and healthier lifestyle.

They are omnivores, so you must be responsible for feeding them the right Bearded Dragon Food. They can eat different kinds of food, including mealworms, crickets, kingworms, fruits, and vegetables.

Table of Contents

What do Bearded Dragons Eat?

Bearded dragons eat more things than you might expect. They can eat a wide range of vegetables, fruits and live food. Below we listed some of the fruits, vegetables and meat they’re allowed to eat. Furthermore we listed a few things that bearded dragons shouldn’t eat. You also have to be aware of the amount of live food you’re going to feed your beardie. The younger they are the more meat they should get.

If you need more details and nutrition facts about fruits, vegetables and meat you can visit our other section were everything is explained more in detail.

Fruits

Just like humans, your pet can also eat fruits, including the following:

Apples	Figs	Mango	Melon
Dates	Papaya	Apricots	Peaches
Kiwi	Plums	Guava	Strawberries
Raspberries	Blackberries	Blueberries	Grapes
Pears	Apricots	Raisins

You must also be careful as you feed soft fruit since it has a lot of sugar, which can lead to teeth problems.

Vegetables

Bearded dragons also love to eat vegetables, including mustard greens, bell peppers, collard greens, squash, and seedless watermelon. You can also feed them with vegetables like:

Turnip greens	Spinach	Okra	Pumpkins
Carrots	Arugula	Kale	Butternut squash
Spaghetti squash	Green beans	Sweet potato	Broccoli
Acorn squash

Insects

Do you wonder if Beardies can eat meat? The answer is yes. They can eat meat in the form of insects. You can provide your dragon with the following:

Kingworms	Crickets	Earthworms	Waxworms
Locusts	Cockroaches	Silkworms	Butterworms
Phoenix worms	Mealworms	Superworms	Dubia roaches

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– she likes to snack on hornworms all day long.

We really love to eat and sometimes you have to stop us before we’re getting too fat. It’s also important that we don’t get it so easily. When we have to run or move to get it we’ll get some exercise that helps us to stay in shape.

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Food And Diet

The diet of your bearded dragon must include vegetables, meat, fruit, and greens. Meanwhile, you must take note that you need to decrease the amount of meat you give as they get older. Additionally, too much meat can make your dragon obese.

To understand more about the diet of your bearded dragon, the following are the nutrients you must include on their menu:

Calcium: You need to include a calcium supplement on their diet at least twice weekly.
Protein: Offer them with protein-rich foods, including waxworms, mealworms, and crickets.
Packaged food: You can also provide commercial food for a variety of their diet. You can prefer for those who have high protein foods.
Vegetables: You must give at least 25% of vegetables for your young dragon and 50% for adult Beardies. Their favorite vegetables include collard greens, kale, zucchini, mustard greens as well as shredded carrots.
Water: Being hydrated is important for the health of your bearded dragon. In case your pet doesn’t drink from dishwater on their habitat, you can mist their vegetables and fruits with fresh and clean water.

Supplement

Your pet also needs a supplement of minerals and vitamins for their optimum health. Sometimes it’s hard to give them all the essential nutrients they need from their daily meals. Supplying them with the right supplement can be quite confusing. So, let us know more about their supplement needs.

Vitamin A: Adult bearded dragons can get vitamin A from vegetables while younger ones can get it from the yolk of their egg until they become 6 months old. You can also buy vitamin A supplements in the market you can add to your pet’s food. However, you must only pick those who have beta carotene.
Vitamin D3 and Calcium: Your beardie can’t absorb calcium without vitamin D3. Therefore, you must give them a supplement that contains both. These nutrients are crucial for their growth and development. These are also important to keep the bones of your pet healthy. You must feed them with Vitamin D3 and calcium to avoid metabolic bone disease.
Phosphorus: Phosphorus is essential for the bone development of your bearded dragon. However, too much phosphorus can make your pet difficult to digest calcium. So, you must make sure to give them with balance supplement of phosphorus and calcium.
Iron: Baby bearded dragons require enough amount of iron for their development. This supplement can be absorbed from vegetables. However, young dragons can’t eat veggies, so you must give them with supplement.

Now that you have learned about the foods you need to provide for your bearded dragons, you must also know the foods you must avoid giving on your pet.

Foods To Avoid For Your Bearded Dragon

Some foods can be poisonous and unhealthy for bearded dragons, so you must be careful about what you feed them. The following are some of the foods you must not offer to them.

Avocados: although it is a wonder food for humans, it can be poisonous for your Beardies, so save it for yourself.
An insect that glows: insects that glow in the dark like lightning bugs, fireflies, and worms are toxic for your pet. Make sure to stay away from your dragon from these insects.
Lettuce: it doesn’t have nutritional value, so don’t feed them with it.

You must also avoid feeding them foods such as:

Elder bugs
Insects found in your home
Insects outside
Venomous insects like scorpions, wasps, and bees
Fireflies
Insects used as bait for fishing
All types of citrus
Mushrooms
Iceberg lettuce or romaine

You can purchase insects from pet stores to ensure that you only give them with safe and healthy insects. It is also important to feed them with fruits through treats or supplements because some fruits contain high sugar, which can make them obese. You must not feed them with lettuce types that don’t have nutritional value. Their water content can also lead to loose stools.

How To Feed A Bearded Dragon

You must consider the age of your bearded dragon when it comes to their diet and nutrition. During their younger years, you must give them an insect that contains fats and protein that will help for their growth. On the other hand, mature Beardies need a diet, especially vegetables, for their proper nutrition and overall health.

Baby Bearded Dragon Food

It’s important to feed baby bearded dragons 1-3 times a day. They will need more insects than vegetables and have to be fed more often than older bearded dragons. You can leave vegetables in their habitat and they can munch on them whenever they’re hungry.

Add some insects over short time periods and clear out the rest if they stop eating. That means that they’re full and don’t need more. Always make sure to renew the vegetables so they stay fresh and are full of vitamins and minerals.Baby beardies can eat more than you might expect. Often you’ll see them eating more than 50 insects a day.

In general you should feed them insects that are not bigger than the width between your beardies’ eyes.

Food For Juvenile And Adult Beardies

As they get older they will need fewer insects otherwise they’ll get fat. For juvenile beardies it’s recommended to give them about 50% insects and the other half should contain of vegetables and fruits.

Adult ones should get less meat and you don’t have to give them insects every day. It’s already enough if you feed them insects 2-3 times a week. If you feed them too many insects they’ll become obese. In the wild they eat more meat but they also get more exercise. Around 70-75% of their food should be vegetables and fruits.

Remember that every insect, fruit or vegetable has a different amount of calories. Therefore you shouldn’t give them only fruits that contain a lot of sugar. It’s important to find a good balance between healthy nutrition and calories for your bearded dragon.

Why They Need Different Kinds of Meals?

The appetite of your dragon can change as they grow. So, you must provide them the best diet according to their age to keep them healthy and happy. Make sure to change the Bearded Dragon Food every other day. You must have fresh plants, vegetables, and fruits in the tank. As your pet becomes an adult, you can observe that they will not be hungry as before. It is advisable to feed them with insects once every 2-3 days.

You must also take note that overfeeding your dragon is not a good idea. Thus, it can make them obese. It is important to check the amount of food you provide your pet. Overfeeding them can lead to mobility and health issues. You must also cut the vegetables and fruits, so your dragon can easily assimilate it with their stomach. Make sure to give them the right amounts of food to avoid overweight.

Tips If Your Bearded Dragon Is Not Eating

It is quite alarming if your bearded dragon is not eating. So, you must know the reasons behind it. Some factors why your bearded dragon is not eating include:

Too high or too low temperature
Impaction due to ingestion of loose substrate
Stress or anxiety
Parasites
Shedding of skin

If you worry when your bearded dragon is not eating, you must immediately seek the advice of a professional vet. The health and safety of your bearded dragon are important, so you must act immediately to prevent possible illness that can cost your time and money in the future.

Drinking Behavior

You must be responsible when it comes to the hydration of your bearded dragon. They live in dry and hot climates, so they can adapt to surviving on very little water. However, they can receive water from vegetables and plants, so you must supply them with enough sources of water.

You can place water on their habitat, but there are some instances that they don’t drink on the water bowl. Instead, they soak on it. Soaking is a natural behavior of the dragon. It is beneficial for the digestion process. They can defecate or urinate while soaking, so you must change the water regularly.

You can also mist your pet with fresh water to stay hydrated. If they are hydrated, it moisturizes their skin and finds it easier to shed. You must also give them regular baths about 3 or more times weekly. Some bearded dragons drink the water when they take a bath. Therefore, you must always give them fresh water for their bath. You must not use soap when providing them a bath.

Provide The Right Diet For Their Health

Bearded dragons are a great addition to your family. It can provide you with entertainment, fun, and companion that can make you happy. However, you must also shower them with love and care for their overall health. Make sure to give them proper nutrition and comfortable habitat to allow them to live longer.

Proper nutrition is helpful to help your bearded dragon enjoy an active and happy life. If you’re not sure what to feed your bearded dragon, talk to your reliable vet for the nutritional needs of your pet. You must be willing to spend your time and money on the right diet of your pet. With that, they can prolong their life, and you can have a pet that you can play with when you are alone at home or just want to walk outside.