Can Bearded Dragons Eat Blueberries?
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Can Bearded Dragons Eat Blueberries?

Blueberries are juicy, sweet, and delicious, your beardie will probably enjoy it and will love this delicious treat. But the pet lovers wonder, Can bearded dragons eat blueberries? Either these are safe or not? Like apples, strawberries, and grapes, blueberries are also one of the safe fruits for your bearded dragons. Although fruit can only play a little role in the diet of this pet, bearded dragons can eat a few blueberries in a week. 

Related: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Corn?

Benefits of blueberries for bearded dragons:

Typically beardies love blueberries, it is great news that this sweet and nutritious fruit does not need to be avoided. In small and proper amount, it has some good qualities which can improve your bearded dragon’s health: 

Antioxidants (especially in the peel of blueberries), promote heart health and also reduce inflammation.

Carbohydrates: They can provide energy.

Manganese: It aids metabolism and also prevents inflammation in beardies. 

Vitamin C: it strengthens the bearded dragon’s immune system, reproduction, growth, and vision.

Vitamin K1: it regulates blood clotting and supports bone.

Additionally, the blueberries are almost 85% water, which means they are a great hydration source for the bearded dragons that need to be hydrated. So, you can see the blueberries are also nutritious for your bearded dragon. However, there are also a few harms that make blueberries unsafe to feed in routine. 

Disadvantages of blueberries for bearded dragons.

Beardies should only eat the fruits as a treat, you can not give them as a staple in the diet. There are a few main reasons that make them unsafe for daily use.

High sugar content

High sugar levels are not good for your bearded dragon. Bearded dragons that eat high sugar levels can face obesity, heart problems, and diabetes. It may lead to death. Like other berries, blueberries consist of high levels of sugar. As an occasional serving, this is not harmful. Just make sure to avoid giving your bearded dragon too much level and too often. 

High level of phosphorus to calcium ratio

On a daily basis, the bearded dragon should eat at least a balanced ratio of calcium and phosphorus.  Calcium is the key mineral that Beardies must need to survive. The phosphorus binds with calcium and counteracts it, before absorbing it into the beardie’s bloodstream. 

When a bearded dragon ingests a small amount of food that is high in phosphorus content, no harm will occur. But huge levels of phosphorus in a bearded dragon’s diet may cause many kinds of health problems, including Metabolic Bone Disease, or MBD, which is a paralyzing condition that sometimes leads to death. So, protect your bearded dragon from these preventable conditions by limiting the intake of phosphorus-rich food items, including blueberries.

Are frozen blueberries safe for bearded dragons? 

Are frozen blueberries the best option for bearded dragons? This concern has been raised for many years about whether frozen produce has more pesticides and less nutritional value than fresh produce. It is a valid concern. You should make sure you are giving your bearded dragon the healthiest option.

Whether you are purchasing frozen or fresh, you can always go for organic blueberries and ensure they are free from pesticides. Frozen blueberries have fewer pesticides than fresh blueberries due to different storage procedures. So if you decide between (non-organic) fresh blueberries and (non-organic) frozen blueberries, frozen may be the better option. 

You can also freeze your own organic fresh blueberries too.  As for the nutrients, the difference between frozen and fresh is almost negligible. But in some cases, frozen blueberries have been found to be much more nutritious than fresh blueberries.

Can a baby bearded dragon eat blueberries?

Baby Bearded Dragons need to feast more insects than the vegetables, and they will require to be fed more often than older beardies. They can be fed an average of three times a day. Yes, baby bearded dragons can eat blueberries, but don’t feed them blueberries on a daily basis. They can only eat it sparingly.

While feeding blueberries to your beardie, keep in mind these following steps:

Quality. Don’t give your bearded dragon blueberries that are rotting, as they can make your bearded dragon sick. If you are serving the frozen blueberries, you should assure they are properly thawed before eating. 

Wash them. If you are offering fresh blueberries, wash them entirely, even if the berries are organic. In this way, you will get rid of dirt from the skin of berries.

Feed them whole or sliced.  Some Bearded Dragon keepers prefer to slice the berries before serving them, but you can also serve the blueberries whole. When blueberries are washed, place them in your bearded dragon’s salad bowl or alone in its food bowl.

With the above discussions in mind, we recommend feeding blueberries to your beardie no more than one time a week. Five or four blueberries at a time are enough, and also they are best if served mixed in with bearded dragon’s vegetables or greens.

Vegetables that the bearded dragons can eat:

Bearded dragons can eat a wide range of vegetables. From the following list you will come to know the vegetables that your bearded dragon can eat:

• Peas

• Green beans

• Butternut squash

• Courgette

• Sweet potato

• Okra

Broccoli (small bits weekly)

• Bell pepper

• Acorn squash

Cabbage

• Parsnip

• Pak Choy

• Asparagus

• Yellow squash

• Okra

• Swiss chard

Fruits that the bearded dragons can eat:

The bearded dragon can eat a wide range of fruits. Following are some fruits that you can eat. But keep in mind they can only eat these occasionally. These are not safe to be fed on a routine basis. 

• Figs

Watermelon

Mango

• Papaya

Apples

• Dates

• Peaches

• Plums

• Kiwi

• Apricots

• Pears

Strawberries

• Blueberries

• Guava

• Raspberries

Grapes

• Raisins

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