Can bearded Dragons eat grapes??
The quick answer is YES. However, there are some things you need to know to make sure your beardie stays healthy long term
I get this question often and it’s a valid question because most people want to know if they can feed their pets human food safely
Please only feed your bearded dragon seedless grapes!
Table of Contents
What Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
Check out this guide on what bearded dragons can eat
Bearded Dragons are omnivores and can eat plenty of human food but there is a limit on things.
First of all, you have to be aware of how much phosphorus they are getting.
If they are getting too much they won’t be able to absorb calcium correctly and then they can develop metabolic bone disease.
Some fruits like strawberries are high in phosphorus which means you have to spread out how often you give your bearded dragon fruit
Bearded dragons this kind of food in this amount in order
- vegetables – 60%
- insects – 30%
- fruit -10%
The insects should be dusted with calcium powder which you can order here
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Grapes? Green, Red, Purple?
The kind of grapes doesn’t really matter much. beardies just like the sweetness of the fruits
You may even find that the beardie loves a purple over a green or something like that but it’s completely normal.
More than anything though the amount of grapes you feed your bearded dragon is going to matter more than color.
If he prefers a specific kind then you can always get that kind if you want to.
I have a specific schedule I feed my Beardies fruits. I do one or two weeks feeding them fruits 2-3times per week and then ill give them three weeks off fruit.
This helps with them to not get addicted to the fruit long term because they will just eat the fruit if you let them over time.
sometimes i will put the fruit in there alone in its own container and sometimes ill wrap it in the vegetable leaves as well
Can Bearded Dragons Eat grapes whenever they want?
This is important for you to know because they can develop certain ailments if left alone to eat fruit all the time.
Beardies can eat grapes a few times a week if they are healthy and then i would give them a week or two off from them. I’ve been doing that for years and they are healthy and happy.
You mostly have to watch out for health concerns like obesity, diabetes and metabolic bone disease
If they have some sort of health issue i would stick to just feeding them insects and vegetables. Keep the fruit down
Grapes are loaded with sugar. Too much of this sugar can lead to health issues which why you need to restrict them to only a few times a week then off for a week or two or you can do it once a week every week if you want to as well. Either way works.
Why your bearded dragons should eat grapes
Grapes are loaded with nutrients as well. Grapes also hold a high amount of water too.
This is another thing you should be aware of because bearded dragons get most of their water from their food and water bowl.
If you overfeed them fruits they can get diarrhea.
if you end up giving them a grape that has a seed in it that can lead to impaction and they might have to go to the vet. you may also need to help them pass a poop. You do this with a warm bath and rub their tummies.
Grapes contain lots of water (around 50% to 70%) which is obviously good for overall health function and hydration.
grapes contain lots of fiber which help with poops and keep the digestive tract healthy
potassium is in grapes as well and that helps with blood pressure
tons of antioxidants are in grapes as well. the skins contain the most of it.
All this information is good for you to know too! load up on grapes. antioxidants help lower the risk of heart disease and inflammation. Inflammation is a silent killer.
Too much inflammation lead to many health problems and quality of life problems down the road.
Why you need to restrict bearded dragons from grapes
The best way to think about fruit in a bearded dragons diet is as a treat. Treats like chocolate for humans should only be consumed once in a while. If you consume sugar and acidic foods to often health issues start to arise.
Lots of gut inflammation will happen and that leads to systemic inflammation and that’s when autoimmune issues can happen. This get nasty.
Sugar is tasty and sweet and we all want to have it all the time but it can lead to too many health problems.
Diabetes is a major concern for a bearded dragon eating too much fruit including grapes.
Tooth decay is an issue too (yes beardies have teeth). They have small little teeth and they don’t have brushes lol
humans can get away with many things like too much sugar because we can clean our teeth so easily and we have dentists.
bearded dragons have a different way of living so they need to restrict sugar to a controlled amount.
Overhydration – Bearded Dragons are actually from a hot environment. They have evolved to not need a whole lot of water. Bearded Dragons get most of their water from the food they eat.
If you feed your beardie too many grapes then they can get too much water. Too much water will lead to over hydration which can make them have diarrhea.
When Diarrhea kicks in the body is trying to get rid of all the extra water which then leads to dehydration
Bearded dragons are used to being dehydrated for extended periods of time but you should always have a water dish available.
Metabolic bone disease
Metabolic bone disease is no joke and its really hard to watch your beardie go through it. It causes paralysis and sometimes death and is extremely painful but totally preventable if you have the right knowledge
its extremely important that bearded dragons have plenty of calcium from their daily diets. I highly suggest dusting their insects with calcium powder that you can purchase here
the ratio needs to be 1:1 in order for good health to be maintained
Phosphorus and oxalates
This is the main thing you need to pay attention to with fruit and your bearded dragons diet
These two things when out of control will cause metabolic bone disease.
Oxalates actually bind to calcium which stop the absorption process from happening. Even if your beardie is having all the calcium in the world it can still be starved of it since not enough is entering the bloodstream and obviously wont get delivered to the bones in sufficient amounts.
Phosphorus acts the same way as the Oxalates do. When there’s too much phosphorus in the bloodstream it will not allow your bearded dragon to absorb calcium in the right amounts to keep him healthy.
This is why i do a week on with 2 or 3 days out of the week with lots of fruit and then ill give them weeks without fruits. They should be eating mostly vegetables and insects when off fruits. I’ve personally been doing this for years and my beardies are OK!
Feed your beardies grapes like this
I always cut up the fruit i give to my beardies into much smaller pieces.
This will ensure you don’t give your beardie any seeds as well. I’ve bought seedless grapes so many times and still get seeds in them. Just be cautious.
Small pieces make it easy for you bearded dragon to eat and digest. If they happen to choke they can get rid of it easier as well.
sometimes young bearded dragons won’t want to eat their veggies. you can wrap your grape in a vegetable leaf if you want to help them eat their vegetables more often.
Bearded dragons can be picky eaters. This comes down to their personality.
If you’re wondering about any other food they can have check this out.
