Can Bearded Dragons Eat Ham?

Is Ham Harmful To Bearded Dragons: Yes or No?

The best foods for bearded dragons are vegetables, moderate amounts of fruit, and insects. Although bearded dragons are omnivores, do not feed them ham because it is toxic.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Ham?

No. Ham contains excess fat and cholesterol. Bearded dragons that eat ham have health problems. 

Why Can’t Bearded Dragons Eat Ham?

Ham is a processed protein laced with preservatives to keep it in good condition. Although proteins nourish bearded dragons, ham is not a healthy choice of protein for them. 

More importantly, ham does not contain vitamin D3, A, and calcium, which are vital vitamins your bearded dragons need. 

Again, do not feed ham to your bearded dragons.

Nutrients Derived From Ham

Bearded dragons  get niacin, protein, zinc, folate, thiamine, vitamin B6, and riboflavin from ham. 

100 grams of ham have only about 8 mg of calcium compared to about 159 mg of phosphorus. If you regularly feed them ham, you will expose your bearded dragons to metabolic bone disease.

Although bearded dragons may get some nutrients from ham, it is not an ideal food to feed your bearded dragons because the risks far outweigh the benefits.

Risks of Feeding Ham To Your Bearded Dragon

Fat and Cholesterol

The high cholesterol and fat content is bad for your bearded dragons. It causes obesity, weak bones, and digestive problems.

High Sodium Content

Ham’s high sodium content and preservative chemicals can cause dehydration which can worsen without other hydrating foods.

Ham Poisoning Symptoms

Some of the symptoms of ham poisoning include 

• Vomiting
• Dehydration
• Diarrhea. 

If your bearded dragon becomes sick, visit the veterinarian immediately.  Even if it does not become sick, do not feed it ham again.

What Happens When a Bearded Dragon Mistakenly Eats a Ham?

What happens when your bearded dragons eat ham? It is not fatal but it will suffer the effects mentioned above. 

But, you need to monitor any signs which indicate that your bearded dragon is suffering from ham poisoning.

Safe Foods For Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons cannot eat all protein rich foods.  Some are lacking the needed nutritional value of a proper meal.

You can feed them scrambled eggs (as long as you do not add any other ingredient) and boiled eggs (which should be eaten in moderation). 

But do not feed your pet highly processed meat like ham, chicken breast, and even plain chicken because these can lead to digestive problems.

Insects

Feed your bearded dragon live insects such as dubia roaches, locusts, mealworms, cockroaches, crickets, king worms, silkworms, waxworms, and butter worms. You can serve these live insects as lunch meat alongside other vegetables.

Vegetables

Also, bearded dragons can feed on juicy vegetables and leafy greens such as acorn squash, sweet potato, and other hydrating vegetables. But not iceberg lettuce as it is lacking in the vital nutrients your pet needs.

Safe Fruits For Bearded Dragons

Feed only safe fruits to your bearded dragons, which include apples, bananas, grapes, and watermelon.

Final Thoughts

Ensure your baby bearded dragons eat more insects than adult bearded dragons which  eat more vegetables. Feed them fruit as occasional treats. Let them eat veggies but not more so than  insects.