The issue with fruits and bearded dragons is truly one to consider. Fruits happen to be one of the most-loved delicacies by bearded dragons, and also one of the riskiest to feed them – they can be highly dangerous to your beardie’s health. Although it may depend on certain factors like the type of fruit, the amount that is fed to the dragon, and how it is consumed. No matter how delicious and healthy strawberries are to you, they may influence your pet lizard negatively. This is why it’s important to understand everything about fruits – or strawberries in this case – to ensure that your beardie is out of harm’s way.
Strawberries are one of the safest fruits to feed bearded dragons and one of the few fruits you can feed weekly. They are filled with essential vitamins (vitamins that beardies cannot produce on their own) and minerals that all together, in the proper proportions, help your beardie to grow strong and healthy.
If you’ve been wondering whether it’s safe to feed strawberries to your bearded dragon, this article is properly detailed with all the facts you should know about the fruit and just how your pet dragon can eat them safely. I’ll be discussing the health benefits and hazards of strawberries so that you know just what to do. Let’s get into it
Are Strawberries Any Good For Bearded Dragons?
As mentioned above, strawberries are one of the safest fruits you can feed your bearded dragon. The fruit is rich in vitamin C which aids immunity and vitamin B9 which supports the formation and regulation of tissue cells. You’ll also find minerals like potassium and manganese that helps blood circulation. In addition to this, there’s a relatively low level of sugar content which throws it up the chart of ‘digestive-safe’ fruits.
Strawberries are packed with a fair ratio of calcium and phosphorus going at 1:2 in comparison to other fruits like peaches which are 1:3. Calcium needs to supersede phosphorus because phosphorus is a calcium binder; it readily binds to calcium thereby disrupting the quantity of calcium your bearded dragon essentially needs.
Strawberries are mostly made up of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and water, which happen to be distributed in low amounts so that your bearded dragon does not accumulate a build-up of the items, which is also an important factor when you feed beardies fruit. Remember, most times fruits are fed with veggies, and since vegetables are loaded with similar minerals and vitamins, it would be safer for the fruits to only complement the content and not cause an overdose.
4 Benefits Of Feeding Strawberries To Your Beardie
There are advantages to introducing strawberries to your bearded dragon. Aside from it being a delicious treat, here are important health benefits your beardie can benefit from strawberries:
1. A Healthy Bowel Movement
Fibre aids digestive movement in both humans and beardies, and strawberries are packed with enough fiber for your little pet. Feeding your bearded dragon strawberries will help it to poop better and unclog the intestines. Your dragon will have a consistent and healthy poop structure and routine which is pretty healthy and comfortable for them.
2. Proper Rehydration
Strawberries can be classified as moisture-providing fruits for bearded dragons as they are saturated with significant water content. In most cases, beardies get their source of hydration from the food they eat (mainly veggies), and adding strawberries to their salad can boost their hydration. You just have to be careful with it so that you don’t go over the top and cause your beardie stomach problems or diarrhea.
3. Builds The Immune System
Beardies in the wild rely on the insects they eat and shrubs here and there to gain vitamin C which helps them fight diseases. However, this is just a manageable amount and is also one of the reasons why beardies in captivity live longer. Since your pet dragon has access to vitamin C now and then, they have a better chance of fighting diseases and building stronger immunity. Strawberries have just the right amount of vitamin C to help your bearded dragon defeat harmful bacteria and prevent it from falling ill easily.
4. Improves Appetite And Demeanor
With the proper bowel movement and savory taste provided by strawberries, your dragon will have a healthy digestive tract that will improve its appetite and help it to eat often. It’s advised to feed the strawberries alongside veggies and protein so that your dragon is more excited to eat. If your pet enjoys strawberries that much, you can use them as a bonding tool to help it easily befriend you.
The Proper Way To Feed Your Bearded Dragons Strawberries
Thankfully, feeding strawberries to your beardie does not require the hullabaloo other fruits require. They have very thin skins that are chewable and digestible by bearded dragons, the seeds are small enough to pass through the tract without a hassle, and they are moderate in terms of texture; strawberries are not too pasty or too crunchy for bearded dragons.
Now, all you’re left with is properly washing and cutting up the fruit to ensure your beardie eats the strawberries safely. It’s important to thoroughly wash the berries since they must have been exposed to pesticides and fertilizers which are harmful to your pet. When you cut up the fruit, ensure that the parts are big enough to fit in between your beardie’s eyes to prevent choking hazards.
How Much Of The Strawberry Should I Feed My Bearded Dragon?
Adult beardies can eat 2 – 3 moderately sized strawberries at most. It shouldn’t exceed this amount so that it doesn’t cause them digestive problems. Baby beardies (0 – 3 months) should eat just one strawberry, and juveniles (3 – 6) can eat two.
How Frequent Should My Beardie Eat Strawberries?
Again, you can measure the frequency by using your beardie’s age. Adult bearded dragons can safely eat strawberries weekly, but babies and juveniles should be fed the fruit once every 2 weeks going to once every month. This is because of the calcium and phosphorus ratio in the strawberries.
When bearded dragons are in the baby or juvenile stage, they’re still developing and strengthening their bones. The last thing they need is anything that will deprive or shorten the calcium they require to build a strong skeletal system. At this stage, they’re also prone to metabolic bone disease that seriously affects bone density causing it to be brittle and weak. What you can do to prevent this and still provide your young bearded dragons with vitamin C is lacing their salad with calcium supplements (view on Amazon) so that the calcium consumed by phosphorus is replaced properly.
4 Problems That May Occur By Feeding Your Beardie Too Much Strawberry
Fortunately, strawberries are not as dangerous as other fruits. So they’re pretty safe to an extent for beardies. For a problem to occur, your dragon must have been munching on this fruit more than twice a week over time.
1. Metabolic Bone Disease
Feeding your dragon too many strawberries could lead to a calcium deficiency which is a precursor of MBD. If there is no replacement for the calcium siphoned by phosphorus, your bearded dragon will not have the proper amount of calcium to build strong bones.
2. Dental Problems
Eating too many sweets can deplete your beardie’s dental health and lead to problems like periodontal disease, which is similar to tooth decay in humans. It’s pretty painful for them to experience and can cause other illnesses to occur as a result of stress.
3. Stomach Difficulties
Your bearded dragon can suffer from diarrhea and stomach ulcers if you expose them to too many strawberries. Their little bodies are not properly equipped to metabolize so much vitamin C and will be forced to eject it in the form of frequent and watery stools.
4. Dehydration
As a direct result of diarrhea, your beardie may suffer from serious dehydration. Excessively passing out stool more or less diminishes the water level in bearded dragons in a fit to remove the toxin. Since beardies are not huge drinkers of water, they’d be terribly dehydrated at the end of the whole ordeal.
2 Things To Do If Your Beardie Has Consumed Too Many Strawberries
If you notice that your bearded dragon is suffering from any of the above-listed problems, here are two things you can do to help the situation:
Visit The Vet
The veterinary doctor knows exactly what to do about the situation. A few tests will be carried out and the proper diagnosis delivered to help your dragon recover from the problem. Ensure that you visit your vet immediately before the situation worsens.
Give Your Bearded Dragon A Bath
Soaking beardies in shallow water is one of the best ways to help them rehydrate. If your dragon is suffering from diarrhea and dehydration, give it a warm bath for 15 to 20 minutes to help it recover.
Wrapping It Up
If your bearded dragon loves strawberries, you’d have a good time enticing it to eat. You wouldn’t have to worry about the extreme dangers that come with some fruits since strawberries are fairly safe for bearded dragons in specific. Just be careful not to spoil your beardie with treats else they’d have difficulty eating the regular plain salad. Good luck!
