Thumbs Up Or Down For Peaches In Bearded Dragon Diets
Can bearded dragons eat peaches? The short answer is yes, they can eat peaches. Peach is typically one of the safer fruits bearded dragons can eat. It’s recommended your bearded dragon only eat fresh peaches occasionally.
This article will explore the benefits and risks of peaches on your bearded dragon’s health and also other factors relating to peach fruit and your bearded dragon’s diet.
Health Benefits Of Peaches
Yes, bearded dragons can benefit significantly from the nutritional value of peaches. However, we recommend that you only feed fresh fruit to them occasionally and not as a staple food. Let’s look at some of the benefits of feeding peaches to your bearded friend.
Water
Peaches are an extremely hydrating fruit. It consists of 88.95% water. Bearded dragons hydrate through the food they eat.
High water content is beneficial and necessary.
You will know when your beardie is dehydrated when its bowel movement appears dry and the urate is yellow or absent.
Symptoms of dehydration are:
- Constipation
- Sunken Eyes
- Wrinkled Skin
- Lethargy
- Lack Of Appetite
Fiber
Peaches are rich in fiber which bulks up the stool for optimal digestion and preventing constipation.
Vitamin C
Peaches are high in vitamin C. It helps build a robust immune system that fends off potential disease and keeps bearded dragons happy.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A promotes better eyesight and eye health, healthy skin, and a strong immune system. It also helps to break down unwanted materials in the body.
The vitamins and minerals in peaches also ensure healthy blood pressure, a healthy nervous system, and water retention from potassium.
Peaches are considered a high-sugar food. These fresh fruits are an excellent choice as a healthy salad topper or occasional treat. We recommend that collard greens and other leafy greens be included in your beardies salad.
Nutritional Value Of Peaches
The Nutritional Value Of 100g Raw Peaches
Water | 88.95 % |
Energy | 39 kcal |
Sugar | 8.4 g |
Fiber | 1.5 g |
Calcium | 6mg |
Phosphorus | 20mg |
Vitamin A | 16ug |
Vitamin C | 6.6mg |
Vitamin K | 2.6ug |
CA:P | 1:3.3 |
It is always essential to keep an eye on the nutritional value of foods you want to introduce into your bearded dragon’s diet.
Read more if you want to know what risks are involved and which parts of the ripe fruit to avoid.
Risk Factors Of Feeding Peaches To Your Beardie
As with other fruit, there are risks when bearded dragons eat peaches. Let’s take a look at some of these risks.
Goitrogens
Goitrogens are compounds found in peaches that negatively impact the thyroid gland. Feeding bearded dragons foods high in goitrogens will cause the thyroid glands to enlarge and malfunction.
It will inhibit your bearded dragon’s thyroid function and interfere with iodine absorption.
Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio
Bearded dragons needs lots of calcium-rich foods in their diet. Unfortunately, peaches are significantly lower in calcium than phosphorus.
Phosphorus will prevent calcium absorption in your beardies blood causing calcium deficiency and metabolic bone disease. Symptoms of metabolic bone disease include:
- Weakening of the skeletal system
- Bone fractures
- Bone deformity
- Tremors
- Overall weakness
- Cardiac failure
How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Peaches?
As mentioned previously, peaches contain goitrogens and more phosphorus than calcium. These can be harmful to your bearded pet. There are also many benefits if you decide to feed peaches to your beardie.
We recommend your beardie’s diet consists not only out of ripe peaches. It can be given once a week, occasionally as a treat.
Parts Of Peaches To Avoid
Although peaches are one of the safer foods to feed your pet beardie, there are certain parts of the peach fruit that we do not recommend to be given to your bearded friend because it is unsafe.
Can a bearded dragon eat peach skin?
Before feeding fruit skins to your dragon, you should always consider your beardie’s ability to chew.
The texture of peach skins is just too tough to chew, presenting a choking hazard. Peach skins also absorb pesticides and other chemicals harmful to your pet dragon. We do not recommend that your bearded dragon eats peach skins.
Can a bearded dragon eat the peach pit?
Never feed the peach pit to your bearded friend. The pit is too hard for your dragon to eat. It also contains cyanide that can poison your bearded dragon and even be fatal.
Can bearded dragons eat canned peaches?
We recommend that your bearded dragon eat fruit fresh rather than giving your beardie canned fruit. Canned fruits should be kept off from your dragon’s diet. It contains preservatives and chemicals that are harmful.
Canned peaches provide minimal nutrients compared to fresh peaches. You should also avoid feeding your beardie frozen peaches because they are also low in nutrients.
Can your bearded dragon eat dried peaches?
Between dried and canned peaches, dried fruits are worse. The drying process only extracts water, concentrating the previously dissolved sugar. This process gives dried peaches a high sugar content.
Dried peaches are a high sugar fruit, and even a tiny piece can be harmful to your beardie. Too much sugar is stored as fat and can result in obesity, tooth decay, and stomach problems.
Preparing Peaches For Bearded Dragons
When you decide to feed your pet beardies peaches, follow these easy preparation steps:
- Start by selecting fresh ripe peaches.
- Wash the fruit to get rid of dirt or other chemicals.
- Peel the peach and remove the pit as it can pose a choking hazard.
- Slice the fruit into bite sized pieces, no larger than the gap between your beardies eyes.
- Use a few pieces of fruit as a salad topper. It will help a picky eater to eat greens. You can include collard greens, leafy greens, etc., in your bearded dragon’s salad.
- Place the salad in the bearded dragon tank and watch how your bearded friend enjoys its meal.
Conclusion
You now know that peaches are safe for your bearded dragon to eat. Bearded dragon owners must give a limited amount occasionally as a treat or salad topper. Avoid the pit and skins from peaches. Do not feed your bearded dragon canned, fried, or frozen peaches. Other fruit suggestions bearded dragons can eat are pineapple or cantaloupe.
Always remember to read about the nutritional value of the food you want to include in your beardie’s diet. Even the safest food can have risks when given to your bearded dragon.
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:
- Can Bearded Dragons eat tomatoes?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat oranges?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat parsley?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat blackberries?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat pumpkin?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat pineapple?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat cantaloupe?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat green beans?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat cherries?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat asparagus?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat mango?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat cauliflower?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat avocado?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat brussel-sprouts?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat collard-greens?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat wax-worms?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat dandelions?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat nightcrawlers?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat earthworms?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat eggs?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat cicadas?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat basil?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat grasshoppers?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat sweet potato?
- Can Bearded Dragons eat hornworms?