Introduction
Can bearded dragons eat carrots? Can it be a staple part of their diet? Will adding carrots to their meals be beneficial for their overall health and welfare? Keep reading to find out.
Bearded dragons generally need 20% plants and 80% insects while growing, and the opposite once they turn into adults. The good news is that carrots are a great choice if you look for a plant to put in their food. However, you still need to know a few things about feeding your beardies carrots to ensure that they stay safe, happy, and healthy.
Pro-Tip: If you want to give your bearded dragon an extra boost of nutrients, you can try this supplement.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Carrots?
Yes, they can. Like for humans, carrots are also very healthy if added to a bearded dragon’s diet. Because of their omnivorous nature, they will enjoy carrots just as much as you do. Aside from the taste, the nutrition a carrot offers is among the biggest reasons why owners opt to add this to their pet’s diets.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Carrots Often?
They can only have them once or twice a week. These are not safe for everyday consumption, so you might want to look for another staple food that you can give your pet every day. You can refer to this article to get you started.
One of the biggest reasons why they can’t have this vegetable every day is their natural habitat. Given that they come from the Australian deserts, it is obvious that carrots are not found where they came from. Regardless, there are still a few benefits to occasionally adding carrots to their meals.
Why Is Adding Carrots to Their Meals Beneficial?
Now that you know that bearded dragons can eat carrots, the next thing you need to know is why you want to give this to your beardies. This vegetable is a great source of nutrition for your beardie. These are:
- Vitamin A and Beta Carotene. These promote good vision, healthy skin, and improve their immune system.
- Fiber. This helps with their digestion, which is especially necessary for smaller bearded dragons as they need to be able to digest insects that may be too large for them. If you want to pair carrots with one of their favorites, you can get some here.
Aside from these, carrots have a balanced amount of phosphorus and calcium in them, making them a better choice than several phosphorus-rich vegetables you can find in most produce sections of grocery stores. With this balanced ratio, your bearded dragon can significantly reduce the risk of developing metabolic bone disease (MBD). This disease can weaken a bearded dragon and can even be fatal if left untreated.
However, despite all of these benefits, a carrot is still low in calcium which growing bearded dragons need. It would be best to be wary about the possible effects of consuming too much vitamin A for your pet.
What Happens if a Bearded Dragon Consumes Too Much Vitamin A?
Since carrots contain too much vitamin A, constantly feeding this to your pet can pose a few threats you need to know about. Excessive amounts of Vitamin A can be harmful and toxic for your pet dragon and can cause these problems:
- Swelling on their limbs or abdomen
- Significant decrease in energy
- Dehydration
- Sudden weight loss
One way to avoid this is to avoid giving your beardie carrots if they are also taking any supplements with concentrated vitamin A and Beta Carotene in their meals. If you still want to give them carrots, it is best to consult your vet about the portion sizes they can take to ensure their safety.
As long as you keep this in mind, giving your pet a carrot treat once or twice a week shouldn’t pose any problems. However, if the issues mentioned earlier ever happen, make sure to bring your breaded dragon to the vet as soon as possible.
Which Type of Carrot Can a Bearded Dragon eat?
As many people know, there are several types of carrots. This vegetable comes in different colors and sizes, but they all have the same nutrients. Here is a quick rundown of the carrots they can eat.
- All Carrot Colors. It doesn’t matter what color of carrot you give to your pet dragon. Just make sure not to go over the safe portion size whenever you do. Every carrot has the same nutritional content regardless of color, so any will do.
- Large vs. Baby Carrots. Most owners will recommend not giving your dragon baby carrots and stick with the large ones. This is because baby carrots have more preservatives as they are sprayed with chemicals more often when farmed than larger carrots. The bottom line is to try to look for something organic, which means baby carrots are out.
How Will You Prepare Carrots for Your Bearded Dragons?
Raw and cooked carrots are both safe to eat for your beardie. So, there shouldn’t be a problem either way. However, there are a few things you need to know when preparing them.
- The most important part of feeding this to your bearded dragons is washing them thoroughly using a scrub to ensure that no foreign materials will get mixed in with their meals. Wash them after peeling as well.
- For larger dragons, finely dicing the carrots should be enough to make them safe to eat, but most owners recommend grating them to reduce the risk of choking for younger ones.
- If you want to serve them fresh and uncooked, you can opt to add it to a salad to make the meal more well-rounded and enticing for your beardie. You can also choose to cook it, but you need to remember that cooking carrots reduce their nutrients.
Regardless of your preference, always remember that the most important part when feeding your dragon is their preference. Do they like them better when cooked or uncooked? Diced or grated? Try all these methods and observe which one your pet beardie likes most.
Conclusion
Carrots are a great option if you are looking for something to add to your bearded dragon’s diet. And, after reading this article, you should be prepared enough to take on the task of taking care of your dragon while giving them this tasty and crunchy snack.
If you’re still not confident about adding carrots to their meals, you can visit this page to know what other vegetables they can eat as a substitute.
