Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cherries? | Nutritional Safety 2024

Cherries are known for their mouth-watering sweetness and healthy nutrients all around the world. They come in their own seasons and become a treat for all of us. They are beneficial in one way or the other for every human! But can bearded dragons eat cherries? Are they safe and healthy for your bearded dragons too? The answer is yes!

Bearded dragons can eat cherries however in a controlled amount and very occasionally. As these watery and sugary treats come with both their benefits and drawbacks, you can study the nutritional facts of cherries below to find out more.

Nutritional Facts About Cherries

Cherries are rich in all these nutrients, and their nutritional value is of great importance inside the human body, however, in bearded dragons, they ought to be optimized as an exceeding value of these may harm them. Below are the amounts of nutrients in 100 grams of raw cherries, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

As the nutrient chart shows, cherries cannot be eaten as a staple food but only as an occasional treat as it contains vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients but no carbohydrates. Cherries contain a high amount of Potassium and so they are beneficial for bearded dragons for muscle aid and low water retention. It also prevents kidney issues and maintains a healthy urinary system.

In addition, these delicious fruits also contain minerals, of which copper is an essential one. Copper in cherries helps the bearded dragon to have a good circulatory system as it participates in the making of red blood cells. Moreover, cherries contain Vitamin A which improves the eyesight of beardies, and also Vitamin C which strengthens the immune system of these reptiles.

Last, but not least, the calcium maintains the bones and keeps them strong for both young and adult bearded dragons. However, cherries are very low in calcium and have an unbalanced phosphorus-to-calcium ratio.

However, the high-water content in the cherries can give rise to digestive issues like diarrhea. In addition, cherries are also high in fruit acid for bearded dragons, their sour taste indicates the amount of acid. The fruit acid can also upset their stomach and result in diarrhea. Not only this, the high number of sugars can make your pets lazy and obese too.

How Often Can They Eat Cherries

You can feed one average or small-sized cherry to your bearded dragon once a month or once in two weeks. But not more than that! The number of cherries a bearded dragon eats should be very carefully monitored. Not to mention that cherries come in big and small sizes. Cherries cannot be fed daily to pet bearded dragons due to a number of reasons.

Firstly, cherries have an unsafe calcium-to-phosphorus ratio that is 1:1.6, and eventually, the high phosphorus tends to reduce the calcium in the bearded dragon and cause harmful diseases like metabolic bone disease.

Next, an excess number of cherries can also cause obesity in your bearded dragon, as it is kept in a closed enclosure and the high sugars can cause obesity and result in other health issues that are related to obesity. Not only this, if cherries are given too often to beardies, the high-water content and high fruit acid content can make their stomach upset and cause diarrhea. Also, find out Can Bearded Dragons Eat Strawberries.

Can They Eat Cherry Leaves

No, these little reptile pets cannot feed on cherry leaves. Although leaves are proven to be healthy for human beings, bearded dragons cannot chew on them. The leaves of the cherries contain a chemical named Cyanide. This toxic compound is poisonous for bearded dragons and can harm their health. Cyanide can cause dizziness and headaches and then fatal health issues in reptiles. Moreover, cyanide poisoning is also harmful to other animals including amphibians, and birds.

Can They Eat Dried Or Frozen Cherries

Firstly, there are no better cherries than fresh ones. Fresh cherries are always the best option to go with. However, if you are wondering if you can feed your bearded dragons the other options available in the market, know that all options are not safe.

Firstly, the option of dried cherries is clearly off the table. That’s because dried cherries are extra sweet and therefore contain more sugars, which is already a drawback of regular ones. In addition, they are hard to chew for bearded dragons and can choke them. Therefore, do not feed dried cherries to your dragon.

Next, Frozen and canned cherries may be fed to your pet if they have no extra ingredients mentioned. Read the ingredients carefully off the packaging to make sure there are no preservatives or extra ingredients. If the cherries are plain, then they can be fed to your beardie. Furthermore, also read Can Bearded Dragons Have Plums.

Conclusion

Can bearded dragons eat cherries? Yes, but only once a month. Although they look juicy and yummy to humans, they are not of much value to bearded dragons. They have a few benefits but if they are given more than twice a month, they may prove to be very harmful to the beardies due to their unbalanced phosphorus and calcium ratio, fruit acids, and high-water content. In Addition, you may also want to know Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can bearded dragons eat cherries with other meals?

Yes, it is not necessary to give the cherry alone, you can give it with other meals like insects, salads, and other worms. However, cherries should never be given with another fruit. Remember only 5% of the total bearded dragons’ diet should be composed of fruits. Fruits along with cherries are not a staple food for bearded dragons.

How should I feed cherries to my bearded dragon?

Bearded dragons are very likely to choke on cherries due to their round shape and slippery skin. They should be chopped into small pieces according to the size of the mouth of your beardie. Also, make sure you get rid of the leaves and pit as they are very harmful to them. Then feed the clean and chopped cherry only once a month.

Can bearded dragons eat glace cherries?

No, bearded dragons cannot eat glace cherries because they are extra sweet. The extra sugars are very unhealthy for their diet and result in many health issues including obesity.