Bearded dragons are omnivores, which means that you may think you’ve got a lot of room to get creative with their diets. While you would be correct in assuming that beardies can eat a variety of foods, they shouldn’t eat too many fruits.
But, what fruits can bearded dragons eat? Well, that’s the question that all responsible beardie owners should be asking. Bearded dragons cannot freely eat all types of fruits, and even fruits that are suitable for beardies should be limited in portion sizes and frequency.
So, can bearded dragons eat strawberries? We’re going to get into all the details of this sweet, fruity, berry treat for your beardie.
Can bearded dragons eat strawberries?
Fruits can be served to bearded dragons in moderation. Are strawberries on the “do” or “don’t” list when it comes to fruits to serve your beardie?
Beardies can eat strawberries
Yes. Beardies can indulge their senses and bite into this delicious berry, which is a favorite for many, beardies and humans alike.
Strawberries should only be served to beardies sparingly. The majority of a bearded dragon’s diet should not consist of fruits. Adult beardies should have a diet high in veggies and insects. The fruits should only be sprinkled in occasionally.
However, when served in the correct portion size and frequency, strawberries can be beneficial to the health of your beardie.
Health benefits
You may love the strawberry for its sweet, juicy flavors or brilliant color, but it does have some nutritional value as well.
Strawberries have a high water content, which will help to keep your bearded dragon hydrated. But, this benefit can also be a detriment if consumed too frequently (we’ll get into more on that later).
Strawberries also contain antioxidants that are beneficial to the overall health of a beardie. A diet high in antioxidants helps to prevent many diseases and illnesses.
Fiber is also abundant in these luscious red berries. The fact that strawberries are high in fiber is a bonus to helping your beardie maintain a healthy digestive system.
How often can bearded dragons eat strawberries?
Strawberries should only be fed to your bearded dragon occasionally. Certain vegetables and fruits can only be served to beardies once a month. Strawberries could be fed to beardies a maximum of once a week.
Why can bearded dragons eat only the occasional strawberry in their normal diet?
High in sugar
Many fruits are high in sugar. Because of this, they should not be fed to beardies regularly. Even though strawberries have some health advantages, their high sugar content makes them potentially harmful if given to your bearded dragon too frequently.
If fed strawberries frequently, bearded dragons can develop several health problems, including obesity, dehydration, digestion problems, and tooth decay.
Phosphorous-to-calcium ratio
If you’re interested in having beardies as pets (or already do), or other reptiles, you may have heard of Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). This disease develops when bearded dragons don’t get enough calcium. If beardies have higher phosphorous consumption than calcium regularly, they are at a high risk of developing this bone-deforming condition. It can be painful, paralyzing, and life-threatening.
The phosphorous-to-calcium ratio isn’t extremely high, which is why strawberries are an acceptable fruit for beardies. However, if strawberries were to be eaten regularly, it could lead to metabolic bone disease.
High water content
It might seem weird that I mentioned this as one of the “health benefits” of strawberries.
But when consumed frequently, strawberries’ high water content is unhealthy for bearded dragons. It can lead to diarrhea, which can then lead to dehydration. So, when it comes to beardies and strawberries, less really is more.
How to serve your bearded dragon strawberries
So, beardies can be served the occasional strawberry. If you’ve decided that you’re going to give strawberries a try in your pet’s diet, then it’s important to know how to serve them. How exactly should you feed strawberries to your beardies?
Clean first
Make sure you’ve washed them well before giving them to a bearded dragon. You should do this with any fruit or vegetable that you decide to feed the beardies. Ideally, you’ll only serve your bearded dragon’s organ fruits and veggies.
Sometimes fruits and veggies have chemicals on them due to pesticides. It’s always best to be safe and wash them first so that your bearded dragon doesn’t ingest something toxic that could cause it harm.
Cut it up
To be safe, cut up the strawberry into bite-sized pieces. This makes it less of a choking hazard.
If you are sure to be supervising your beardie as it eats, you could serve it the strawberry whole. They’ll take out bites, which can look pretty cute.
Put in a dish
Place 1-2 of the cut-up pieces in your beardie’s food dish. This dish should be shallow enough for them to easily eat out of it.
You can mix the strawberry pieces with some veggies. The sweetness of the strawberry chunks can encourage a picky bearded dragon to eat all of its veggies.
Keep an eye on your beardie
You should monitor your beardie for any abnormal changes whenever you introduce a new food to its diet. If alarming symptoms come up, or your beardie just isn’t acting like itself, then check in with a vet.
It’s always good to keep note of your beardy’s diet and alert a veterinarian to any changes in health.
What other fruits can beardies eat?
We know that the occasional strawberry is safe to add to your beardie’s diet. But, what about other fruits? Fruits of any kind should not take up the majority of your bearded dragon’s diet. An adult bearded dragon should have a diet that is about 80% veggies and 20% insects.
A tiny extra percentage may be allotted for treats such as fruit. You’ve got plenty of options when choosing fruits for your beardies. Some safe options include figs, watermelon, apples, mango, papaya, dates, peaches, apricots, plums, kiwi, pears, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, guava, grapes, raisins, and apricots. Be sure to double-check how each fruit should be served to your pet when adding them to its diet.
Strawberries are safe
Strawberries are bearded dragon-approved. But only in the correct portions. You can occasionally feed strawberries to your bearded dragon without worrying about any negative health effects. However, always monitor your bearded dragon after serving them a portion of new food.
Bearded dragon preferences can vary slightly among all of them. One beardie may enjoy strawberries while another turns up its nose (or nostrils). There are plenty of other safe fruit options to try with your beardie if strawberries aren’t a hit.
But, more likely than not, your bearded dragon will happily gobble up the strawberry chunks that you serve them.
