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Can bearded dragons eat cucumbers?
Have you ever considered feeding your bearded dragon cucumbers?The bearded dragon eats more plants than insects. When the bearded dragon is a baby, its diet will be 80% insectivorous and 20% vegetarian. For his diet, when he is an adult, try to have about 75% leafy vegetables, 10% other vegetables, 5% fruits, and the rest of insects. It is a mainly herbivorous animal when it is an adult, but it still needs insects among the fruits and vegetables.
Can a bearded dragon eat cucumber? And how much cucumber can a bearded dragon eat?
In short, cucumbers are a great addition to your bearded dragon’s diet. Ensure you’ve thoroughly peeled and washed them first. You can feed your bearded dragon cucumbers every two weeks. Cucumbers should be an occasional treat for your lizard rather than a staple. In order to avoid choking and impaction, always be sure to cut the cucumber into bites smaller than the width between the eyes of the lizard.
Why can’t bearded dragons eat cucumber every day?
There are a few factors that exclude them from the daily food category:
Too much water. Being desert creatures, bearded dragons don’t need much water. Also, since bearded dragons are desert animals, they require minimal water in their diet. Too much cucumber will cause stomach upset or even watery stools in some dragons—lack of calcium. Daily vegetables for bearded dragons usually contain a decent amount of calcium with less phosphorus (although a balanced ratio is perfect) and typically have more nutrients than water. The balance of calcium to phosphorus in cucumbers is 1:1.5, with phosphorus being the most significant amount. This is problematic because phosphorus binds to calcium and prevents it from entering the bloodstream, which is tantamount to stealing this vital mineral from the bearded dragon.More Bearded dragons articles.
What nutrients do cucumbers contain?
While cucumbers aren’t exactly plentiful in terms of overall nutritional value compared to other vitamin-rich foods, cucumbers are a great source of essential vitamins and minerals that benefit your bearded dragon’s health when fed in moderation. These notable vitamins and nutrients include: Vitamin C, which is excellent for the visual health of your lizard, and its immune system, stimulates growth, and helps with reproduction; Vitamin K regulates blood clotting, Magnesium contributes to brain health and muscle function, Potassium, which prevents kidney problems and promotes muscle health, Manganese, which helps regulate metabolism and prevents inflammation, And fiber, necessary for digestion, prevents impaction and even helps with occasional constipation.
Note: A diet rich in calcium is essential for bearded dragons, as it helps them to grow properly and prevents bone disease.
How to serve cucumbers?
You can take a few easy steps to give cucumbers to your bearded dragon safely:
- Wash them thoroughly before peeling. Although it may seem unnecessary to wash before peeling the cucumber, it helps prevent pesticides or dirt from ending up on the cucumber’s flesh during peeling.
- Peel the cucumber. Bearded dragons cannot chew the shell, which can cause intestinal obstruction if they swallow pieces of it.
- Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and remove the seeds to avoid any risk of choking or impaction.
- Do not let your beard eat the seeds.
- Cut the flesh of the cucumber into small pieces.
Can bearded dragons eat cucumber skins and seeds?
Always avoid giving bearded dragons the skin and seeds of the cucumbers you intend to provide them with. Similarly, you should remove cucumber seeds before feeding, as the seeds are big enough and firm enough to be swallowed whole and potentially cause impaction.
Conclusion: So, Can a bearded dragon eat cucumbers?
Your bearded dragon’s diet is crucial to its overall health and happiness, and one important thing to keep in mind regarding its diet is the variety of foods you provide.
Bearded dragons need many fruits, vegetables, and insects to be happy and healthy, and cucumbers should only be a small part of their overall diet.
Give your dragon small pieces of cucumber, and never provide cucumber peels or seeds.
Never leave bearded dragons unattended while feeding, and closely monitor their food intake.
While bearded dragons eat various foods and are not inconsistent eaters, they often have individual preferences for certain foods, and many dragons enjoy cucumbers as a healthy snack.
