Bearded dragons are one of the most famous easy to groom and handle the pet. However, you can quickly spoil this little friend by feeding irregularly or giving delicious treats every other day. So, your beardie refuses to eat any other stuff other than its favorite. Many new bearded dragon owners surf all over the internet to look into the best diets available for bearded dragons. Moreover, if a particular item is suitable for their little friend or not. However, the biggest problem is when no one knows which platform is providing legit information
So, we decided to discuss all of the famous seasonal fruits and vegetables on our platform to make things clear for you. In this article, we are going to discuss grapes as a diet of bearded dragons.
Beaded dragons like to eat fruits rather than vegetables. These lizards can be fed on various fruits. However, they cannot be given too many fruits. Their diet should only comprise 10% fruits. You can only provide grapes to your breaded dragons occasionally, but they should not be given daily. Grapes are high in fibre but also sugar and oxalates, which can harm your pet. Continue reading to know a lot more about the benefits, harms, and other food options other than grapes for your beardie.
Table of Contents
Staple, Treat, Or Off Limits: Can Bearded Dragons Have Grapes At All?
It’s grapes season, and your beardie is jumping towards you to have this delicious treat. So, you must be wondering if grapes work for your beardie or not.
Bearded dragons can only eat grapes occasionally. Grapes should only be included in a bearded dragon diet, at least with a gap of weeks.
Never feed more than two grapes at one time. Or precisely, not more than 6 -7 gapes in a month.
So, you know grapes are not the staple food for bearded dragons. It is though a yummilicious treat that your bearded dragon would love to have. You can give it to build an appetite or reward for your little friend’s excellent behavior. Do not use grapes other than a bonus or appetite stimulant.
Always remember too many grapes are not suitable for your bearded dragon. It can cause severe metabolic and digestive problems.
So, you better avoid it even though your little friend loves it. After all, that is for its good!
Now, let’s discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having grapes in the diet of your little bearded dragon. Moreover, we will talk about all the other factors related to these delicious berries that must be considered while feeding them.
Nutrition In Grapes
Grapes contain several essential nutrients and potent plant compounds that benefit the health of bearded dragons. Grapes are a healthy choice, and their calorie level is low. They are also an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese. It is also a good source of vitamin C, which helps to keep immunity high and aids in repairing tissues
| A 151g Cup Of Raspberries Contains | |
|---|---|
|
Water |
105.0 g |
|
Energy |
104 Calories |
|
Protein |
1.1 g |
|
Carbohydrate |
27.3 g |
|
Fibre |
1.4 g |
|
Calcium |
1% RDI |
|
Magnesium |
27.1 mg |
|
Sodium |
2 mg |
|
Phosphorus |
35.7 mg |
|
Iron |
0.8 mg |
|
Potassium |
191 mg |
|
Copper |
10% RDI |
|
Vitamin C |
27% RDI |
|
Vitamin B6 |
6% RDI |
|
Vitamin K |
28% RDI |
|
Riboflavin |
6% RDI |
|
Thiamine |
7% RDI |
|
Fat |
0.2g |
Benefits Of Grapes In The Diet
Let’s have a look at some of the benefits of feeding bearded dragon grapes:
Improve Digestion
Grapes improve digestion and prevent stomach problems. As grapes are rich in fibers, it helps to increase the motility of the gut. Moreover, it also helps in case your beardie is suffering from constipation. However, in the case of diarrhea, grapes can aggravate the situation and worsen it up. So, avoid it entirely in bearded dragons suffering from any gut problems, including ulceration. Also, never increase fiber a lot in the diet of your bearded dragon. The increased amounts of fiber will hamper the absorption of all the contents in the food. Moreover, it also causes excessive diarrhea, even in healthy bearded dragons. So, along with the amount, consider the number of high fiber foods in the diet too!
Hydration
As they contain water, so keep the body hydrated and good for skin and hair. Most of the reptiles are not very good water drinkers. So, you need to add water-rich foods to the diet to ensure proper hydration. However, remember, your bearded dragon is very sensitive. Even if you exceed a little of the recommended amount, it will cause excessive diarrhoea and electrolyte imbalance. Moreover, the excess can also lead to indigestion. So, use a high water content diet smartly.
Immuno Stimulants
They boost the immune system and prevent various diseases like cancer. Immuno stimulants like grapes are very helpful in preventing contagious diseases and prevent lethal ones. Grapes have become one of the most readily available sources of immunostimulants. Therefore, they boost the health of your beardie
Anti-inflammatory
Grapes reduce inflammation. Grapes have amazing anti-inflammatory action. They suppress inflammatory hormones and cytokines to provide relief. In this way, they reduce swelling, normalize blood pressure, high temperature, and so on.
Vasodilator
Grapes help to relax blood vessels and dilate them. In this, it has a relaxing effect and normalizes blood pressure. Therefore, it is beneficial in cardiovascular diseases in bearded dragons
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the essential antioxidants. However, bearded dragons usually cannot feed on vitamin C enriched foods such as oranges, lime, raspberries, etc. Raspberries have a considerable amount of vitamin C in them. Vitamin C can strengthen the immune system of your bearded dragon to help it fight against diseases. Moreover, it also helps in any regeneration and repair of tissues in the body.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K is essential in preventing excessive blood clotting. Blood clotting can block veins and can become the cause of heart failure or hemorrhage in bearded dragons. Moreover, it also functions in healthy bone development and strength.
Antioxidant
Grapes are high in antioxidants. They react with free radicals to prevent their adverse effect. Free radicals are produced all the time in the body and are notorious for aging, cancer-causing, and other lethal diseases. One thousand six hundred vital plant antioxidants and other compounds are identified in grapes, giving your bearded dragon ultimate health benefits.
How Many Grapes Can A Bearded Dragon Have In A Week?
The amount of grapes fed to a bearded dragon depends on its overall health. If your pet is excellent and does not have any health issues, it can have a couple of grapes two times a week. But if your bearded dragon has diabetes or constipation, then a couple of grapes only once a month is better. They can also be given to bearded dragons as a treat as they freshen up their mood.
How To Add Grapes In The Diet Of Bearded Dragons?
Bearded dragons are too little, and they have a small mouth. So, grapes should be cut into small pieces to feed them. They can also eat grapes skin along with pulp as it does not cause any harm. Buying seedless grapes from the market should be preferred, but they should be at least once checked for seeds before feeding. It is also encouraged to mix grapes and grapes leaves in the bearded dragon’s food bowl as some bearded dragons love to eat grapes than other fruits, so other varieties of food can also be served along with grapes.
Pro Tip:
If your bearded dragon is a picky eater, then grapes can help you built the hunger of your little bearded dragon. They can not only make the boring bowl of salad look more delicious but also a lot more attractive. So, sprinkle some small chunks of grapes over the bowl of greens to coax your beardie to eat it well.
Health-Related Risks For Bearded Dragon In Grapes Diet
Grapes are healthy in general, but a darker side can arise due to eating too many grapes. Eating more grapes than the required amount by the bearded dragon can give rise to specific side effects.
Allergy
Grapes allergy is rare, but it is the most severe side effect of grapes. Even touching grapes can trigger allergic reactions in allergic dragons. Even if your dragon is not allergic, an allergic reaction can still occur due to pesticides spread on grapes. Allergy symptoms include red patches and difficulty in breathing and sneezing.
High Level Of Oxalates And Phosphorus
Grapes contain high levels of fructose and oxalates. These oxalates can bind to calcium and form calcium oxalate stones.
Excess calcium comes from bones, and they become weak. Bearded dragons can also suffer from the metabolic bone disorder as a result.
Grapes also contain phosphorus which can also bind with calcium and contribute to lowering calcium levels.
There are some warning signs if grapes are overfed to bearded dragons.
- They can cause a lack of calcium.
- They can cause overhydration.
- They contain a lot of water and can cause constipation. This warm bath is recommended to relax bowel movement.
- They can cause diabetes or fatty liver disease.
- Excess grapes can also increase cardiovascular risks in bearded dragons.
Let us compare the oxalate concentration of various food items for bearded dragons:
- So, in terms of oxalate, you can now access a better choice for your beardie. Moreover, never add more than one oxalate-rich product in one single bowel for bearded dragons.
High Sugar Content
Sugar is the primary reason that makes fruits unsuitable to be used regularly. Most of the fruits have a lot of sugar, e.g., cantaloupe. Even if we consider grapes, it is one cup alone with 14.7 grams of sugar… quite a considerable amount, right. However, to your surprise, most of the fruits have a lot more sugar than that!
This amount of sugar content can affect the metabolism and cause various diseases related to indigestion and water loss. Moreover, it can also cause obesity, fatty liver, tooth and gum decay, and even diabetes. These situations can also worsen and become fatal.
Let us compare the carbohydrate contents of the most common fruits available for bearded dragons:
So, now you can have a better idea of which fruit best suit your situation and how you can make a perfect bowl for your bearded dragon.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Which Grapes Bearded Dragons Can Eat And Which Cannot?
Bearded dragons can eat grapes with skin, frozen grapes, and grapes leaves. But they cannot eat dried grapes or raisins, canned grapes, and drink grape juice.
Which Color Grapes Are Good For Bearded Dragons?
The grapes of all colors are equally suitable for your pet. Sometimes color depends on the choice of bearded dragons. Green and red color grapes are more appetizing and appealing for dragons. Purple grapes can also be fed and do not have any side effects. But feeding grapes every day is not recommended.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Grapes Leaves Too?
Yes, bearded dragons can eat grapes along with grapes. It is proved that grapes are more nutritious for bearded dragons than the grapes themselves. You cannot give grapes to your pet more often, but you can provide grapes with leaves as often as you would like. The reason is that they contain high levels of calcium and protein and low levels of phosphorous. For serving grapes leaves, first wash them properly, chop them into small pieces like grapes and serve your bearded dragon by placing them in its food bowl.
Can We Also Feed Grapes Seeds To Bearded Dragons?
No, bearded dragons are not allowed to eat grapes seeds. They do not contain any health benefits. Remember to scrutinize every grape for seeds and remove every seed no matter how big or small it might be. To avoid this complication, grapes without seeds should be selected for the bearded dragon diet.
Can You Feed Bearded Dragons Frozen Raspberries?
Always thaw frozen grapes before you feed them to your bearded dragon. In fact, frozen grapes are even better. In this way, you can squeeze out all the extra water, leading to diarrhea. So, yeah, frozen grapes are the right choice for your bearded dragons.
Conclusion
Grарes аre too gооd fruits fоr beаrded drаgоns as lоng аs they are taking them оссаsiоnаlly аnd in adequate аmоunts.
Feeding mоre grарes thаn neсessаry саn саuse diаrrheа due tо the extreme wаter
соntent in this fruit. It will even beсоme wоrse if yоur beаrded drаgоn is оverweight beсаuse grарes аre tоо sugаry. Tо be оn the sаfer side, use grарes аs оссаsiоnаl fооds, аnd аvоid the seeds аlwаys.
I hорe this аrtiсle hаs proven useful tо yоu, аnd yоu nоw understаnd muсh аbоut beаrded drаgоns аnd grарes.
I am a graduate of a veterinary university. Dealing with all the kinds of pets from the dawn to dusk, it’s like understanding their language. That is the best time ever, I must say!
Writing has always been my orphenadrine. I love to share my experience and talk about the most common issues people have been facing with their pets. My writing career began in 2015. I aimed to work for pets to share my experience and make pet humans relation a lot better. I usually talk about the most significant or recurrent cases of the day. During my practice at pet centre, I face a lot of questions by pet owners. Moreover, I also own a variety of pets myself including different species of mammals, birds and reptiles.
Therefore, I have decided to educate all the pet owners about their little friends who can’t talk the way we do. Understanding what they are telling us is all we need to do. And most of us fail to perceive.
So, I am here to serve the purpose. Let’s help each other in better understanding the needs, behaviours, and problems of our best friends with the best possible solutions!
