Can bearded dragons eat cherries?

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How Nutritious Are Cherries In Your Bearded Dragon’s Diet?

Like most fruits, cherries can be found in many stores and it is easy to have sweet cherries lying around the home.  It can become very tempting as a bearded dragon owner to offer some of this yummy treat to your beardie.

So can bearded dragons eat cherries? 

Yes, bearded dragons can eat cherries in moderation. But keep it as an occasional treat, don’t feed cherries more often than once a month.

This is very important and is something we’ll tell you all about, so you can feed cherries safely. 

Nutritional Value

Let’s start with some of the nutritional value that comes with eating cherries. 

Vitamin C and antioxidants –  Prevent inflammation and strengthens the immune system

Copper –  Helps maintain healthy blood cells

Manganese –  Aids in metabolism and a healthy digestive system

Potassium  –  Aids muscle function and strengthens the kidneys

If the above-mentioned vitamins and minerals are so important in your bearded dragon’s diet, why can you not serve cherries to them every day?

Too Much Sugar

With 13 grams of sugar per cup, cherries are considered to be one of the high-sugar fruits.  Bearded dragons should not eat too many foods with a high sugar level.  Sugary foods can lead to obesity, heart failure, kidney or liver damage, tooth decay, and other problems.

Unbalanced calcium to phosphorus ratio 

Cherries contain both calcium and phosphorus.  Food with a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of calcium to phosphorus is the safest for your pet bearded dragon to eat.  Cherries have a ratio of 1:1.6 which makes it unsafe for your bearded friend to eat frequently. This means that the calcium is not being absorbed by your bearded friend’s body and can result in calcium deficiency and metabolic bone disease

Can Baby Beardies Diet Include Cherries?

Baby bearded dragons can eat cherries in moderation, just like the adult dragons.  It is not recommended to feed your baby dragon cherries, but if you do, it should be in very low quantities and on rare occasions. 

Baby bearded dragons grow at an extremely fast rate and it is therefore essential to eat food that is packed with key nutrients such as calcium and protein. Feeding your baby beardie cherries will not contribute to their growth and because they have very small stomachs, every mouthful is vital. 

It is far better to avoid feeding cherries to your baby beardie and rather offer your baby bearded dragon high-quality greens that will support their growth.  An example of such greens is dandelion greens.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Dried, Canned, Frozen, Or Glace Cherries?

As previously mentioned feeding fresh cherries to your bearded dragon should be limited, but how about dried, canned, or frozen cherries? 

Dried cherries  Dried cherries are difficult to chew and have a lot of added sugar, which is a big no-go where bearded dragons are concerned.

Canned cherries  Canned cherries contain a lot of preservatives and chemicals that can make your pet dragon very sick.  Never feed canned foods to your bearded dragon because it can often lead to death.

Frozen cherries  These are usually safe to feed your bearded dragon in moderation if there are no added ingredients.  Thaw the frozen cherry to room temperature first before feeding them to your dragon.

Glace cherries  Bearded dragons should never eat glace cherries due to the high amounts of sugar they contain.

What About Cherry Leaves and Cherry pits?

It is important never to risk giving your beardie cherry leaves or pits because of its toxicity.  Both the leaves and pits of cherries contain cyanide which is a poisonous compound for bearded dragons and other reptiles. 

The amount of cyanide contained in one cherry pit isn’t likely to be a lethal dose but your beardie can still have serious negative side effects.

Cherry blossoms also contain cyanide and it is, therefore, best not to keep it on your bearded friend’s menu.  

Preparing Cherries For Your Bearded Dragon

You need to remember that you can only give your bearded dragon cherries once a month.  

First of all, you can start by getting fresh, ripe cherries.  Choose the ones with a fresh stem.  Then you need to wash the cherries with clean water to remove any dirt and chemicals like pesticides.

Remove the pit and twig of the cherry to prevent gut impaction.  Cut the cherries into half or quarter pieces.  

You can now continue feeding cherries to your beardie as a delicious treat.  Make sure to remove any food that remains after feeding.

A Final Word

Asking the question:  “Can bearded dragons eat cherries?” The answer is clear cherries can be given to your adult bearded dragon but it should be done in moderation.  While cherries are super tart and tasty your beardie can only eat it as a rare treat.  

When you decide it is time to feed your bearded friend cherries, you should always keep in mind the other things your beardie has eaten in the past few weeks because it can increase the impact of the nutritional value on your bearded friend.

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:

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AUTHOR

Annemarie Dutton
I am a huge animal lover and have four dogs, a Labrador, Jack Russell, Pug, and Teacup Yorkie. I also have a cat and a Cockatiel. I have had pets since I was a toddler, and there was not a day when there wasn't an animal in my house.