Bearded dragons are omnivorous creatures and they can eat some vegetables and greens as well as fruits. They also eat a few insects. From vegetables and fruits, they get minerals and vitamins whereas from insects they get protein. Some owners also prefer to feed their pet bearded dragons with some legumes and grains as that will help them to get protein from some other source.
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Can you give your bearded dragon lentils?
Among the grams and grains, lentils can be given to the bearded dragon. This is a safe food option for bearded dragons. Lentils contain a good amount of nitrogen, protein, and vitamin A thus it will be a sufficiently healthy food option for the bearded dragons.
How can you give lentils to the bearded dragon?
You should give the cracked lentils that are overnight soaked, to your bearded dragon. When the legumes will be soaked, it will not be difficult for the bearded dragons to consume. Also, the protein of the lentils will be easily absorbed by the bearded dragons. This will be much easy for the bearded dragon to digest the soaked and cracked lentils.
Can you give cooked lentils to your bearded dragon?
Cooked lentils are not bad but not very good for the bearded dragons either. It will not cause the bearded dragon much good as the cooked food is not supposed to be fed to the bearded dragons. Their digestion system is not such that they can consume and digest cooked food.
When they are in their natural habitat they can only eat raw food, so it is always preferred that they eat soaked lentils or even canned lentils. But cooked lentils are best to be avoided.
Why cooked lentils are bad for the bearded dragons?
Cooked grains and grams are not ideal for the bearded dragons and they can fall sick. The cooking process often changes the molecular pattern of the food granules. When some creature is not accustomed to this changed condition of any particular food, it will not be easy for their digestive system to identify the condition and digest the cooked food. This causes the malfunction of the digestive system and makes the creature fall sick.
Is it toxic to feed lentils to the bearded dragons?
No, lentils are never toxic for bearded dragons. This gram does not contain any elements that can cause toxicity to the body of the bearded dragons. Though we have mentioned that lentils are full of nutrients like protein and minerals yet, the sensitive stomach of the bearded dragon would not be able to digest this food every day, and that is why the bearded dragon owners avoid feeding lentils in good amounts.
Why bearded dragons need lentils?
Bearded dragons need protein as one of their main source of energy. They mostly get this protein from the worms that they eat in their daily diet. The insects should be gut-loaded so they get some extra minerals and nutrients along with protein and nitrogen.
The source of protein can also be lentils for the bearded dragons. It should not be a permanent solution for the protein consumption of the bearded dragons but when for some reason the feeding of insects becomes difficult or the availability becomes scarce, then you can give a few spoonfuls of soaked or canned lentils to the bearded dragons. This will replenish the need for protein in the bearded dragon’s body.
Can bearded dragons eat lentils every day?
Grains and grams are not part of the bearded dragon’s everyday diet. They should not try to eat lentil every day as this will cause them digestive problem. There are too much fiber and a high amount of protein in lentil which is not ideal for the digestion of the bearded dragons.
So if you plan to feed your bearded dragon with lentils, give then a few spoons of soaked lentils once in a week. Make sure that on that very day they should not eat many insects as part of their diet. They will get a good amount of protein from the soaked lentils and thus, adding insects and worms to the lentils of their diet will be an overdose of protein.
Can you offer lentil soup to your bearded dragon?
Lentils contain fiber and after it is cooked to soup, it turns to soluble fiber. The soluble fiber usually takes care of the heart. The diabetes of any creature gets in control after getting the lentil soup regularly. The dietary fiber of the lentil soup is also good for the stomach as it improves the digestive system.
But for the bearded dragons, cooked food is not ideal. You may try to give half a cup of lentil soup once a month to your bearded dragon but do not add it to the regular diet of the pet.
Can lentils help the bearded dragon in constipation?
Lentils contain dietary fiber as we have already mentioned in this guide. This is really helpful in processing the feces. When your pet bearded dragon is suffering from constipation and is not pooping regularly, along with giving it a warm water bath and soaking, you can also offer a few granules of soaked lentils. This will work much better if given at right time. The fiber in the lentils will help the feces to form.
But you should always take suggestion from the vet before indulging in such option. It will not be much difficult to feed the soaked lentils to the bearded dragon as that will be easily chewed and consumed by the pets.
Do bearded dragons like to eat lentils?
Lentils, in soaked form, may be eaten by the bearded dragons. As this is not an ideal or referred food for the bearded dragons, few owners try to feed their pets with this. The taste of the bearded dragons differs individually and thus, they may or may not like to eat it. You can give a few grains first to see if it likes the taste. Afterward, you can offer them half a cup of lentil at a time.
Also, the digestion ability of the bearded dragon should be tested to give it a good amount of lentils. So for the first time you will only give a few grams. Let it digest the grams and see how it reacts. If it does not suffer from any kind of digestive malfunction then you can offer them more amounts of lentils, but occasionally.
How long the lentils should be soaked before feeding the bearded dragon?
Lentils can be soaked for one hour and they will be ready for consumption. Some bearded dragon owners prefer their lentils to be soaked till they sprout. This is actually healthier than the regular soaked lentils as the sprouts contain micronutrients which are quite healthy for anyone and any creature.
Thus if you can feed your bearded dragon with the soaked and sprouted lentils it will do the pet much good. However, the sprouted lentils contain more nutrients and they should be offered only a handful at one go. You can offer it as a snack or treat so only a few should be consumed by the pet bearded dragon. The protein quotient is so high in lentils that everyday consumption of this may result in the ill health of the bearded dragon.
