Can Bearded Dragons Eat Apples? | Nutritional Guide 2024

An apple is a healthy, nutritious fruit that is available all year long. It is a delicious, sweet, citrus fruit that is found almost everywhere in the world. Let’s discuss Can Bearded Dragons Eat Apples? Your bearded dragon can be given an apple as a healthy treat. Fruits such as apples are rich in nutrients including Vitamins A and C, fiber, carbohydrates, potassium, iron, and a plentiful amount of water. Providing apples once a week is fine, but you should not feed them this fruit on a regular basis since it is high in sugar and water. For more information, please read the article below.

For all those who are asking, ‘can bearded dragons eat apples?’ the good news is, yes they can. However, this fruit can only be a weekly fix for them. There are many benefits of including apples in the diet for your new pet, but you will also have to see the few nutrients that are not good for daily consumption. When you eliminate those nutrients, the fruit might provide some good elements on a weekly basis.

Let’s dissect that apple and see what kinds of nutrients it can serve the bearded dragon at home, but before that understand what these reptilians need to grow healthy and be active. Many of you might have thought that getting a small pet would mean lesser care. Bearded dragons are easy pets, but only when you know how their bodies function, and what they need for healthy growth.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Apples? Here’s All You Need To Know

Bearded dragons can eat apples once a week, or once a fortnight. While this fruit has numerous nutrients, it is not necessary that all of them will suit your pet dragon. Bearded dragons are reptilians found in dry, and hot regions. They do not need a lot of water, but calcium and protein must be fed daily to ensure that their muscle and bone development is good. Moreover, vitamins are an integral part of their diet.

Reptilians have a slow metabolism and therefore, they cannot afford to eat high-fat, or high-sugar foods that are digested slowly and hence get stocked in the body. Consuming sugars can cause obesity in these pets. Pet bearded dragons do not have a lot of physical activity. This means that they do not burn a lot of energy and if you are feeding them high-sugar foods, it can become a problem. Let’s see how much sugar and other nutrients apples contain and you will get a fair idea of why they are restricted to a weekly dose. In addition, you should also know Can Bearded Dragons Eat Grapes.

Nutrition In Apples For Bearded Dragons

Apples are a good source of numerous nutrients. Here is a list of the essential vitamins and other elements found in apples:

Vitamins: Apples are a great source of vitamins C and E. These vitamins are excellent for fighting diseases, and infection and boosting immunity. Moreover, vitamin E keeps the skin supple, and healthy. This means that your bearded dragon will not get any kind of skin rash. Skin shedding will also become easier if there is enough vitamin E in the system.

Fiber: Fibers and antioxidants are found in abundance in this fruit. Your bearded pet requires a lot of fiber to keep the digestive system healthy, so this component of the fruit will be a positive one.

Sugar: The sugar content of apples is high. Due to its high sugar content, sugar can cause digestive disorders, lead to obesity, and affect your dragon’s teeth health. As a result, fruits should not be fed as a staple food but as a treat.

Calcium: Calcium is found in apples, but it is not sufficient for bearded dragons. Moreover, phosphorus is found in higher quantities in apples, which makes it unfavorable for daily use. Phosphorus works like an opposing agent for calcium absorption. This means that phosphorus stops calcium from absorbing into the body. This can result in a calcium deficiency which also leads to Metabolic Bone Disease in your dragon. It also can affect kidney stones and cause renal problems.

The high water content in apples poses a serious threat to bearded dragons. A balanced amount of water is fine for a bearded dragon but too much can be too bad for them, it can cause diarrhea to your bearded dragon. In addition, you should also know Can Bearded Dragons Eat Grapes.

Benefits Of Apples

Apples are relatively low in oxalic acid, making them a safer choice for bearded dragons. Like phosphorus, oxalates can bind with calcium and cause Metabolic Bone Disease as well as kidney stones. Apples contain a low amount of oxalic acid, which makes it safer and healthier for bearded dragons as phosphorus, and oxalates can bind to calcium and cause metabolic bone disease and kidney stones.

To maintain a balance of nutrients such as vitamin C, bearded dragons must rely on a two-pronged approach. In addition to the vitamin C they produce, bearded dragons meet their nutritional needs through their diet. In addition to fighting free radicals, it also prevents oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a serious disease in which DNA can also be damaged or torn.

Potassium is a very important mineral that facilitates and regulates the healthy functioning of the nervous system and its interaction with muscle function. Potassium also helps in the absorption of iron in the bearded dragon’s blood. Potassium’s cumulative role in muscle function means that its deficiency can lead to severe motor disorders. Potassium is also important for heart health and promotes the balanced heart rate of a bearded dragon.

Iron is necessary for the production of blood. Iron is used to produce hemoglobin and muscle cells called myoglobin. Iron is also crucial for the transfer of oxygen from your dragon’s lungs to its bloodstream. While if you offer your dragon apple occasionally then this fruit can help bolster your beardie’s iron reserves.

Quantity Of Apples To Feed

As you know apple is a fruit full of nutrients but you cannot feed them on a daily basis. You can give a bearded dragon between a quarter and a half an apple once a week. Only because of the high sugar and water you cannot give this fruit to your bearded dragon as a regular diet. However, only captive bearded dragons can eat apples, the wild bearded dragons are not adapted to eat fruits like apples. Their digestive system would struggle with even a small daily serving.

How To Serve Apples

Always keep in mind that bearded dragons do not chew food well, which means that they may be swallowing semi-solid food. Apples are not too soft, which means that if you feed bearded dragons this fruit, they might swallow it semi-solid. The fruit can get stuck in the intestines, causing constipation. If the situation worsens, chronic impaction occurs and you will see that your dragon pet will become inactive. The lower body gets paralyzed over time, and the anxiety and lack of appetite add to the misery of your pet.

Feed small and thin cubes of apples to your pet so that they can easily swallow them without choking, and also digest them easily. Bearded dragons can enjoy the fruit more when they can lightly chew it and swallow it without any difficulty. Apples are a crisp fruit, and it has a sweet aroma, which is appealing for bearded dragons.

Conclusion

A bearded dragon can eat apple week to week, but they should never be fed to beardies as a full meal. The number of apples must be restricted so it does not become a serious and harmful issue for your bearded dragon. If you are a responsible owner of your bearded dragon then you must know that before feeding an apple to your reptile you have to peel the skin, remove the seeds, be free of stems, and cut them into bite-sized pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you feed apple peel to bearded dragons?

No, apple peels are hard to chew and digest and also have the risk of having chemicals, pesticides, and other harmful toxins that can harm your bearded dragon. Apples should always be peeled, seeded, and cut into smaller pieces before feeding to your beardie.

Can bearded dragons feed on apples with seeds?

It is not possible for a bearded dragon to chew on apple seeds which causes a choking hazard and they also cannot digest apple seeds. It can even cause gut impaction which is a condition their digestive tract is blocked.

Can a bearded dragon feed on green apples?

Green apples are similar to red apples in fact they have the same nutrition. One major difference is that green apple is low in sugar content which makes them better for your bearded dragon.