Can Bearded Dragons Eat Blueberries?

Blueberries are just great. They are juicy, tasty, and tangy and are a perfect healthy snacking choice.

As these tasty fruits are pulpy, bearded dragons would love to gobble on them. so are you worried of giving them these fruits on their daily meals? if yes, then read on.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Blueberries?

Blueberries are loved by most bearded dragons, and that is why you can give them these fruits once or twice in a week. There are certain nutrients present in this fruit which helps consumer’s immunity and digestive system.

There are antioxidants present in the skin of this fruit which is great for heart. It helps the heart to keep the blood well pumped. Inflammation is also reduced when one intakes blueberries at regular intervals.

Nutrition facts

There are certain minerals present in this fruit like manganese and also oxelates. These elements boosts metabolism.

Carbohydrate present in this fruit offers energy. Vitamins like K1 offers consistency in blood circulation. Also there is vitamin C which offers great immunity system, vision and reproductively.

Hydration is maintained as this fruit contains 85% of water.

So does that mean you will be safely feeding your bearded dragon with blueberries? Not really, and let us see why.

Reasons for avoiding blueberries in regular meal:

Fruits, as for bearded dragons, are not generally prescribed for regular meals. Strawberries, apples or even grapes are not to be fed to bearded dragons, even if they are quite tasty and rich in various nutrients. However tempting they may seem, always remember, fruits should remain in the snacking part and that too, not very often.

The primary reason for which the bearded dragons should avoid regular intake of blueberries is high content of sugar. Though this is natural sugar which is present in form of fructose and is really helpful for the human system, it will make the bearded dragon obese.

This reptile is a natural habitat of desert area and they need to work really hard to find food, when left in native place. So their gene is designed in such a way that they cannot use the excess energy that will be gained by consuming blueberries in abandon.

The food that they get to eat in the desert area does not contain much amount of sugar and thus they are yet to get used to with much sugar consumption. This extra sugar intake can lead to diabetes and even heart problems for this little creature.

The phosphorus and calcium ration of the blueberries are also not much in favor of the digestive system of bearded dragons. When it comes to food that is a regular item of the bearded dragon diet, it should have the proper ration of calcium and phosphorus.

Both the ingredients should be present in equal amount in the food which will be ideal for the intake of bearded dragon. Reptiles need calcium in their food to stay in healthy condition.

When there is phosphorus in their food, it depreciates the action of calcium and prevents it from getting absorbed in the system of the dragon.

So the food that the dragon eats on the daily basis must not have high phosphorus level, though it can be eaten in a small portion occasionally, in which case phosphorus will not be consumed in large amount to counter the goodness of calcium.

Blueberries contain a high amount of phosphorus along with calcium. But the goodness of calcium does not come handy when the dragon consumes blueberries on regular basis. This is another reason for not giving blueberries in the staple diet.

Metabolic bone disease is also an outcome of regular intake of blueberries. MBD, as this disease is popularly called, causes body pain and even can turn to paralysis. If you do not wish to see your bearded dragon in such a morbid condition, do not feed it with blueberries often. Also any other phosphorus rich food can cause this same situation.

Conclusion:

In case of frozen blueberries, there is this debate still going on, that frozen fruits are not as nutritious as the fresh one, but the convenience is more.

While eating frozen food, people or animals often tend to consume pesticides and preservatives, which is a regular nuisance in case of frozen food items.

Learn: Bearded Dragon Brumation: Explained

This issue is not yet sorted, but surely you will not wish to feed your lovely pet creature with something that can have the harmful chemicals. So getting fresh and organic blueberries is the best option, if you wish to feed the dragon with this particular fruit.