Can Bearded Dragons Eat Chocolate In Any Form? | Safe To Eat? 2024

Chocolate is by far the most popular candy in the world. We all love this sweet, and satisfying treat so it is natural for pet owners to want their pets to try it. Can bearded dragons eat chocolate? Every creature is not the same and it is not necessary that what is loved by humans will be equally liked by dragons. Chocolate is made with cocoa beans, sugar, cream, and other ingredients that are in a way vegan. As bearded dragons are omnivores, they can eat many kinds of vegetables and fruits but is chocolate a good choice?

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Chocolate Or Not

Chocolate is a sugary treat that can be harmful to bearded dragons due to its carbohydrate content. Bearded dragons have a slow metabolism, which means that they cannot digest high-starch and high-sugar foods. Chocolate has a dense consistency and since it is made with seed-like cocoa beans, they are rich in starch, and sugar is added to make it sweet for consumers.

Chocolate can be dangerous for many animals and even dogs are not supposed to consume this treat because of its negative effects. However, bearded dragons cannot eat chocolate due to their slow metabolism and the way their body works.

A bearded dragon cannot eat a lot and in its limited daily portion, you will have to pack your daily meal with all the fruits, vegetables, and insects that will benefit this creature. Moreover, bearded dragons cannot eat processed foods and therefore, it is not advisable that you feed your pet dragon some chocolate. Also, read this Can Bearded Dragons Eat Peanut Butter?

What Is In Chocolate

100 grams of chocolate contain 51.5 grams of sugar, which is an extremely high amount. Moreover, the fat in this sweet treat is also 29.7 grams, which will be too much for the bearded dragon to process on a slow metabolism.

Dangers For Bearded Dragons In Chocolate

Chocolate can be a good source of energy for you, but unfortunately, this great tasting sweet is not at all recommended for your dragon pet. When in the wilderness, dragons may require energy because they roam around and look for food. However, pet dragons live in captivity and they do not need high energy levels. The reason is discussed below. However, you can check the nutritional value of chocolate on every individual bar and see that there are various red flags there!

If the chocolate you choose has nuts or raisins, it can be dangerous for the dragon because of the solid pieces that are hard to chew and swallow. This makes chocolates a risk because these solid nuts can cause impaction, which causes the intestine to clog and the bowel movement becomes restricted.

Another very dangerous aspect of chocolate is that it contains more than 200mg of Phosphorus whereas the calcium amount is only 189mg. For bearded dragons, every food must have a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 2:1. If there is more phosphorus in their diet, it restricts the absorption of calcium and this can lead to serious illnesses.

If bearded dragons do not consume enough calcium or if it does not get absorbed due to high phosphorus, their bones become weak and the gradual depletion of calcium can make their bones soft. When the bones become soft, bearded dragons become immobile as their body weight cannot be supported by their body. This can lead to paralysis and eventually death.

Calcium and protein are the most important components of the bearded dragon’s diet. If your pet is not taking enough calcium, or if there is too much phosphorus in their diet, they become weak due to low absorption of the most essential element that their body needs. For fruits, you might want to begin reading about Blackberries and Bearded Dragons.

Chocolate Is Rich In Protein

Chocolate has a high amount of protein and this is a good thing but the problem is that there are so many issues with chocolate that this one good feature does not make it any better. When bearded dragons have to eat a small portion in a single day, it is best to fill it with beneficial fruits, vegetables, and insects.

It is not advisable to feed beard dragons any chocolates since they have nutrients that may be good for humans but are harmful to these reptilians. If you want to know more about rich protein food which is best for your dragon, then check out Can Bearded Dragons Eat Eggs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if my bearded dragon eats chocolate cake?

It is not recommended to feed your pet dragon any kind of cake due to its high sugar content. However, if they ate it once, it is k. You must try to feed the dragon healthy foods for many days after consumption of cake so that the sugars wash out of the system.

Is Chocolate milk acceptable for dragons?

Any kind of sweet treat is not a good idea for pet dragons. However, if you give them chocolate milk without any sugar, it can be an accepted occasional treat. You must give your dragon enough protein, and calcium so that the phosphorus level of chocolate can be balanced out. We still recommend pet owners avoid giving their pets chocolate milk because the taste of chocolate is not so appealing to dragons that you compromise on their nutrition.

Conclusion

Bearded dragons cannot eat chocolates because they can be harmful due to their high sugar and fat content. Moreover, the phosphorus in chocolate is much more than its calcium content, which is unfavorable since the former element hinders the absorption of calcium. The energy level in chocolate is also too high for a bearded pet who does not have to move around so much. Overall, chocolate is a harmful food for beaded dragons. Also, read Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cheese, you would love reading it.