Bearded dragons are one of the unique reptiles of Australia. So, whenever you get to have this adorable lizard as your pet, you must be wondering what to feed. Bearded dragons live in a habitat where they have to provide various foods to maintain their health and ensure all the essential nutrients. Therefore, like humans, primarily bearded dragons are also omnivores. They eat everything from greens to fruits and insects. However, some foods are suitable for your beardie while some should not be considered a staple food. Learn a lot more about your bearded dragon’s diet to keep it healthy and grow at a much faster pace.
As far as fruits are concerned, raspberries are among the most delicious and appealing food anyone can talk about. All of us like them, right. The same goes for bearded dragons too! Bearded dragons love to have raspberries to the extent that they can bite your hand while feeding in their raptness. However, there are still many questions. Are raspberries good for bearded dragons? Can raspberries be given to bearded dragons often? If not, what are the health risks? How and when can you give this delicious treat to your dragon?
Well, we understand all the questions bubbling in your mind. So, keep reading and know the answers to all your questions. Do not miss any point, as a bit of carelessness in the case of your little friend can become life-threatening for it!
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Staple, Treat, Or Off Limits: Can Bearded Dragons Have Raspberries At All?
Its raspberries bowl in front of you, and your little beardie getting excited at its sight. So, you must be wondering if it is okay to give these
Bearded dragons can only eat raspberries occasionally. Raspberries must only be included in the diet of a bearded dragon after at least two weeks.
Never feed more than three berries in one time. Or precisely, not more than 6 -7 berries in a month.
So, you know, raspberries are not the staple food for bearded dragon. It is a delicious sweet treat that your bearded dragon love. You can give it to build an appetite or reward for the excellent behaviour of your little friend.
However, remember too many raspberries are not suitable for your bearded dragon. It can cause severe digestive and metabolic problems.
So, you better avoid it even though he loves it. After all, that is for its sound.
Now, let’s discuss the advantages and disadvantages of having raspberries in the diet of your little beardie—moreover, all the other factors related to these delicious berries must be considered while feeding them.
Benefits Of Raspberries For Bearded Dragons:
Bearded dragons would never miss a chance to gobble on raspberries. These delicious, juicy and red berries are equally popular among animals and humans. Not only because of their delicious taste but also due to their nutritional value. You must be surprised to know that bearded dragons can also get addicted to having raspberries!
Now, you know how much your little friend loves these small juicy berries. So, let us talk a bit more about the nutritional value of raspberries:
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are one of the essential energy sources for all living beings. It will help your beardie to maintain its strength and do not lay down with fatigue. Precisely these are energy boosters. It will help them move around quickly.
Copper
Copper helps to maintain all the soft and hard tissues of the body, including bones and cartilage. Copper is essential to sustain the vascular system of your bearded dragon. Also, it is necessary for proper nerve functioning.
Potassium
Potassium is essential to maintain the normal blood pressure of the body of bearded dragons. It helps in the regulation of normal contraction of heart muscles. It also plays an essential role in maintaining the nervous system and the muscular system in the body of reptiles.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus, just like calcium, is vital in the strengthening of bones and teeth. It gets deposited in them and provides the necessary strength. Deficiency of phosphorus can lead to brittleness of bones and inflammation in bearded dragons.
Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the essential minerals necessary to maintain an average blood sugar level in the body. Raspberries are one of the most critical sources of it. For bearded dragons, excess blood sugar is never good. So, it maintains that for them.
Fibre
Fibre, when given in adequate quantity, regulates the mobility of the digestive system. It is the best treatment in case of any issues of constipation. Another way round, in case of diarrhoea, it can worsen the situation
Iron
Iron helps in maintaining bone strength. Moreover, it is an essential part of haemoglobin. Haemoglobin constitutes red blood cells that circulate all the oxygen and food in the bodies of reptiles and humans. So, raspberries are a great choice if your bearded dragon is suffering from anaemia. It helps inadequate red cells production.
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 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 E
Vitamin E is an essential antioxidant that helps maintain healthy skin tissue and growth in bearded dragons. Moreover, it prevents any damage from cancer-causing free radicals and also helps in damage repair.
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 haemorrhage in bearded dragons. Moreover, it also functions in healthy bone development and strength.
Moreover, there are also other essential nutrients in this fruit. The nutritional value of 123 g cup of raspberries is given as:
| A 123g Cup Of Raspberries Contains | |
|---|---|
|
Water |
105.0 g |
|
Energy |
64 calories |
|
Protein |
1.5 g |
|
Carbohydrate |
14.7 g |
|
Fibre |
8.0 g |
|
Calcium |
30.8 mg |
|
Magnesium |
27.1 mg |
|
Phosphorus |
35.7 mg |
|
Iron |
0.8 mg |
|
Potassium |
186.0 mg |
|
Zinc |
0.5 mg |
|
Copper |
0.1 mg |
|
Vitamin C |
32.2 mg |
|
Vitamin E |
1.1 mg |
|
Vitamin K |
9.6 mcg |
|
Alpha-carotene |
19.7 mcg |
|
Lutein + zeaxanthin |
167.0 mcg |
|
Beta carotene |
14.8 mcg |
|
Choline |
15.1 mg |
Now, when we talk about the vitamin and mineral content of raspberries, we have:
You must be thinking about why it is terrible to give all these nutrients to your little beardie daily. Theoretically, it must help it grow at a much faster pace. However, remember, excess of everything is terrible. The amount you are giving is sufficient enough to fulfil the dietary requirements of its tiny body. So, always maintain the balance for the good of your little friend. Have complete knowledge about your bearded dragon’s nutritional requirements to help it have the best diet that boosts its health.
Disadvantages Of Raspberries:
We talked a lot about having a moderate quantity of raspberries. Here are some health hazards increased amount of raspberries can cause in bearded dragons:
Oxalates
You must be surprised to know that one cup of raspberries has up to 48 mg of oxalates. This quantity is a lot for the tiny body of the bearded dragon. Oxalates can cause serious health risks for reptiles. One of the most prominent health hazards is metabolic bone disease. Oxalates bind with calcium and can lead to hypocalcemia. This thing prevents calcium deposition in bones. This thing not only makes the bones soft and brittle but also more prone to inflammation. When it worsens lead to lethargy, bones deformity, paralysis, skinny limbs, and so on, this situation worsens. Oxalates also lead to stone formation in the body that can cause ulcers.
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.
More Phosphorus Than Calcium
Phosphorus, no doubt, if given in small quantity helps maintain bone health. However, its increased concentration can deprive the body of its calcium stores. Raspberries have a considerable amount of phosphorus in them. If given in excess, phosphorus will prevent any calcium absorption, which will lead to bone weakening. Over time, metabolic bone disorders worsen, and bearded dragon become immobilized.
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 raspberries, 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.
It Can Become An Addiction
Some bearded dragons get addicted to raspberries if they are fed too often. They start loving it so much that they will not then eat any other meal.
So, occasionally a tiny number of raspberries can become a decent treat without causing any harm. However, any quantity of more than 2-3 raspberries can become a health hazard for your beardie.
How To Prepare Raspberries For Your Bearded Dragons
Picking Raspberries
Whether you are picking raspberries from the grocery store or the farm, the essential part to remember is freshness. Always choose fresh fruit and vegetable for your bearded dragon. Any rotten food can affect its gut badly. So, take care of it.
Moreover, fresh raspberries have most of the essential minerals preserved in them. These tend to decay with time. So, as raspberries age, they lose their shiny aesthetic appearance and flavour and their nutritious value.
Old fruit usually has a high amount of bacteria and mould growing in it. Raspberries are full of sugar, which typically attracts a lot, other organisms. You do not want to play its tiny gut and put a fight in it, right. So, pick the best one for your little beardie.
Preparing Raspberries
Always wash the berries before you feed them your bearded dragon. Never cut before you wash it. Otherwise, the bacteria on the surface or other chemicals can find their way to seep inside. Wash it thoroughly to remove all the pesticides and insecticide from it.
Remove any green part attached to the berry. Please make sure no stem and leave reach its mouth. It can not only cause indigestion but also chocking. So, be careful
Always cut the raspberries into smaller pieces. Smaller pieces are easy to swallow and digest. Bearded dragons tend to eat quickly without much chewing. So, smaller it is better it will be for your beardie.
Especially in juvenile bearded dragon, ensure that the size of raspberry is never more extensive than the size of throat. You can feed whole berry to the adult bearded dragon if it is small. They will easily mush up this soft little berry in seconds.
Pro Tip:
If you have a picky eater, then raspberries can help you built the hunger of your bearded dragon. They can not only make the boring bowl of salad more delicious but also more attractive. So, sprinkle some small chunks of raspberries over the bowl of greens to coax your beardie to eat it well.
Feeding Raspberries To Your Bearded Dragon
If your bearded dragon never had berries before, you may face a bit of trouble feeding for the first time. Precisely, bearded dragons do not love changes a lot. They are usually very reluctant at eating new things. So, you may have to trick it into eating it.
The best way is by adding some small pieces of raspberries to its favourite food. Once it gets to taste this happy sweetness, it will be going to love it.
Remember, never feed raspberries to your bearded dragon by hand. Always use some pair of tweezer or place them on a plate so they will eat it up.
Bearded dragons love raspberries so much that they can bite your hand in their raptness to get it. So, better, avoid any unpleasant happening.
Can You Feed Bearded Dragons Frozen Raspberries?
Always thaw frozen raspberries before you feed them to your bearded dragon. Mainly, frozen raspberries are even better. In this way, you can squeeze out all the extra water, leading to diarrhoea. So, yeah, frozen raspberries are the right choice for bearded dragons.
Conclusion:
Raspberries are one of the most delicious fruits anyone can find. Most surprisingly, your bearded dragon may seem to like it even more than you. Undoubtedly, this fantastic fruit’s nutritional value is well established; however, excess of it is no good. Feeding many raspberries can cause metabolic, severe bone diseases, diabetes, obesity and other health hazards mentioned before. So, always ensure to provide in moderation and let your little dragon enjoy it!
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!
