Can Bearded Dragons Eat Baby Food? Safe Feeding Practices 2024

Bearded dragons are friendly reptilians that are fast becoming a sought after pet in many households in America. If you want to keep a bearded dragon too, you might want to go for a small one so that you see it grow while you care for it. Many pet owners who are not aware of the needs and requirements of baby dragons might ask a simple question, ‘can bearded dragons eat baby food?’ While this question is valid, the answer to this is crucial to understand what will suit your dragon pet and what will not suit it.

Whenever you keep a new pet, there are some basic things that you need to know about it. Will it eat the things that we eat? Is a particular food allowed? Will the pet suffer if you are not careful with its food? All these things make a big difference! Get to know what will suit your dragon and what might be harmful.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Baby Food

Bearded dragons may eat baby food, but not all types of baby food are acceptable. Bearded dragons are reptilians and they have a slow metabolism. Moreover, their digestive system is different from mammals and since they do not produce milk-reducing hormones, they cannot have any food that contains lactose. These creatures are unable to digest foods that have any kind of dairy product.

Baby foods are prone to have dairy in them because they are designed for children who need calcium from milk products. However, some baby foods do not have milk and are made with wheat, honey, and even fruits. If the baby food is pureed vegetables or fruits, they can be a part of your bearded dragon’s diet.

There are many homemade baby food items that can be served to bearded dragons and they will thrive because pet owners can make pureed food out of all the vegetables and fruits that are suitable for their pets. However, to prepare these, you must know what are the suitable veggies and fruits and why.

What Bearded Dragons Really Need

Bearded dragons need vitamins, calcium, and proteins the most. While mammals also need fats and sugars, bearded dragons must avoid them because of their slow metabolism. Since calcium helps build bones, it is an essential element and bearded dragons need this on a daily basis so that they remain healthy and their bones grow well. Another reason for bearded dragons to consume calcium daily is that their body cannot store it over long periods and therefore they should replenish it daily.

In case calcium intake is not sufficient, bearded dragons become weak and their bones lose calcium. Gradually, they become soft and the bones can bend even. This state is called metabolic Bone Disease. When this occurs, the bearded dragon becomes paralyzed and loses mobility completely. This state can cause a lot of issues including anxiety and lack of appetite.

Protein is another essential component of their diet because it helps build muscles and that enables the dragon to be agile and active. The constant replenishment of protein will ensure that your bearded dragon pet is healthy and has a lot of energy to move around and lead a healthy life.

Sugars, high-water foods, and even foods with a lot of phosphorus are not good for bearded dragons. You must ensure that you feed the veggies and fruits that do not have a lot of sugars or fats. For example, avocados have higher fat content so they are omitted from the bearded dragon diet. Similarly, spinach has high water content so that is also out. Another nutritious vegetable that is not good for bearded dragons is broccoli and romaine because they have higher phosphorus than suitable for dragons.

When considering fruits, be sure not to feed very tangy, sweet, or water-rich fruits. There are many colorful and tasty options for pet owners to puree and make baby food for their pets. However, there have to be some fruits that you should keep off the list. For example, kiwi, chard, star fruit, and too many sweet tangerines are off-limits. You can feed your dragon pet all other fruits and vegetables like baby food. Also, check out Can Bearded Dragons Eat Plums.

Babe Cereals Are Suitable Only If Non-dairy

If we talk about packed foods, you must ensure that you select a baby cereal or food that is made with vegetables and fruits that bearded dragons can have. If you select a food that contains wheat and rice that is fine, but ensure that there are no food chunks in the food.

If bearded dragons are fed large chunks they cannot swallow them in a semi-solid state because they cannot chew very well. If the food passes into the intestines as semi-solids, it gets stuck and this is called impaction. Impaction sets in as constipation and intensifies into a more serious situation where the bearded dragon becomes immobile due to the discomfort in the lower abdomen region.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my bearded dragon get poisoned with pureed baby food?

No! If the food is made with all the allowed fruits and vegetables, they will not get any kind of poisoning and neither will it be dangerous for them!

Can I make pureed food for bearded dragons at home?

Yes, this kind of food is most suitable for dragons because they eat it with ease, and you can ensure that they are getting the right nutrition.

Conclusion

Pet owners often ask, can bearded dragons eat baby food? The answer is simple they cannot have dairy-based baby foods. However, if there are allowed fruits and vegetables in the food, they can eat them. You can feed your dragon pet the right foods if you know what will suit them. Also, have a look at Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bananas, you would love to read it.