ᐅ Can Bearded Dragons Eat Blueberries?

image with a bearded dragon, blueberries and a text that says: can bearded dragons eat blueberries?

Blueberries And Your Bearded Dragon – What You Need To Know

Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, you come across another veggie, herb – or in this case – fruit and find yourself wondering if it’s a good addition. Can bearded dragons eat blueberries?

The short answer is yes; blueberries are one of the safer fruits for bearded dragons to enjoy in moderation.

This article will explore what you need to know about feeding blueberries to your bearded dragon.

The Nutritional Value Of Blueberries

This table shows the nutritional information of blueberries per 100g.

Nutrient Name	Amount
Water	84.21 g
Energy	57 Kcal
Protein	0.74 g
Total lipid (fat)	0.33 g
Carbohydrate, by difference	14.49 g
Fiber	2.4 g
Sugars	9.96 g
Calcium	6 mg
Phosphorus	12 mg
Sodium	1 mg
Vitamin C	9.7 mg
Iron	0.28 mg
Vitamin D (D2+3)	0 ug
Vitamin B6	0.052 mg
Vitamin A	3 ug
Vitamin E	0.57 mg
Vitamin K	19.3 ug

When considering the nutritional information in the above table, we’ve established that blueberries are safe to put on your bearded dragon’s menu. Now we need to take a closer look at the benefits and concerns of feeding blueberries to your pet lizard.

Benefits Of Feeding Blueberries To Your Bearded Dragon

Most fruit are poor in a nutritional sense for bearded dragons, and blueberries are no different. However, they have some benefits to note and a place in your beardie’s diet if used appropriately.

Antioxidants

The antioxidants can be found mainly in the skin of blueberries. It Strengthens the immune system and your bearded dragon’s digestive system

Carbohydrates

The carbohydrates in blueberries can help keep your bearded pet energized.

Manganese

Aids metabolism and blood clotting as well as preventing inflammation.

Vitamin C

This vitamin is key to a healthy immune system, vision, reproduction, and growth.

Vitamin K1

Another vital vitamin that regulates blood clotting and supports bone and heart health is vitamin K.

High Water Content

Blueberries have a high water content of 85%, which is good to increase hydration of your beardie.

Concerns Of Feeding Blueberries To Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons should only eat fruit as a treat and not as a staple in their diet.

There are two main reasons why your beardie cannot have blueberries every day.

Too Much Sugar

High sugar contents are one of the main reasons fruit is off the daily bearded dragon diet. Pet bearded dragons do not have the space to scurry around and burn calories like their wild counterparts. And even in the wild, their diet does not exist of much sugar.

Bearded dragon owners must be aware of the sugar quantities in their bearded dragon’s diet. It is essential because too much sugar can lead to tooth decay, obesity, diabetes, heart problems, and death.

In occasional servings, this won’t be harmful. Just make sure you don’t give your beardie too many, too often.

Too Much Phosphorus Vs. Calcium,

The best food for bearded dragons, is a balanced diet with the same amount of phosphorus and calcium.

Calcium is a crucial mineral that bearded dragons need to survive. Phosphorus counteracts calcium by binding with it before the calcium is absorbed in your beardie’s bloodstream.

When bearded dragons consume small amounts of food high in phosphorus, no harm usually follows.

Too much phosphorus in a dragon’s diet can lead to all kinds of issues, including metabolic bone disease.

Metabolic bone disease is a painful and paralyzing condition that can even lead to death. As a bearded dragon owner, you should protect your bearded friend from this common yet preventable condition by limiting the intake of phosphorus-rich foods, including blueberries.

You can also use a calcium supplement powder to mix into your bearded dragon’s food bowl.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Blueberry Leaves?

It is totally fine to give your bearded dragon blueberry leaves, but we don’t recommend that you do it too often. A bunch of fresh blueberries will have the occasional leave mixed in with the berries. If that happens, there is no need to stress about it.

More research still needs to be done before the veterinary committee is sure if a regular amount of leaves is suitable for a bearded dragon. We need to recommend it again. Do not make this a regular thing.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Frozen Blueberries?

The safety of feeding frozen blueberries to your beardie became a topic of debate.

Some experts feel that frozen blueberries are covered with pesticides and even contain preservatives. Others claim that fresh blueberries contain higher pesticide levels than frozen ones. There is no concrete data to suggest choosing one over the other.

In general, though, we believe that it is ok to give your bearded friend an occasional frozen blueberry treat.

How To Prepare Blueberries For Your Bearded Dragon

We recommend that you feed your bearded dragon blueberries no more than once a week. Four or five blueberries are a good rule of thumb, and you can mix them into your bearded dragon’s salad bowl.

Preparing blueberries for your bearded dragon is not a complicated process. Let’s take you through it.

Be Sure The Blueberries Are Healthy

You can start by selecting only the best blueberries for your beardie. Avoid any berries that are not a shade of dark blue or too dark and too soft. The same goes for moldy or squashed berries.

We suggest looking for organic blueberries because organic foods are typically not treated with pesticides.

Wash Them

Once you have selected your berries, whether organic or non-organic, wash the berries thoroughly before you allow your dragon to eat blueberries.

Place your blueberries in a strainer and wash them under cold running water. Shake the colander gently and rinse them one more time.

Cut Them In Half

A bearded dragon eating blueberries can choke on a whole blueberry. We recommend that you cat the blueberries in half before giving them to your beardie.

Place In Their Bowl

After following the above steps; you can now try feeding the berries to your dragon. It is a good idea to mix the berries with the other food, or your beardie might try to play with them.

Blueberries go bad very quickly, so we suggest you remove any uneaten berries right away.

Wrapping Up

Now that you know the answer to the question “can bearded dragons eat blueberries?” you can decide to include these fruits in your bearded dragon’s diet. Other fruits you can include in your bearded dragon’s diet are mango, pineapple, raspberries, and more.

Always read about the new food you would like to introduce to your bearded dragon. If your beardie has underlying health conditions, we recommend speaking to your vet about the safety of the food. Remember, even the healthiest food can have some health risks,

Continue to read our main article “What do Bearded Dragons Eat?” for all the ins and outs on general diet questions, and get a further detailed breakdown of other popular foods in the articles below: