ᐅ Can Bearded Dragons Eat Pears?

bearded dragon, pears and a text saying "can bearded dragons eat pears?"

Pears: The Prince Of Fruit. Yea Or Nay For Bearded Dragons

Can bearded dragons eat pears? Yes, bearded dragons love to eat sweet pieces of fruit. It gives them the energy to explore their surroundings and enjoy a high quality of life. Pears can be given to your bearded dragon occasionally but should not be a staple food.

This article will explore the nutritional value, risks and benefits, preparation of pears, and some more.

Nutritional Information Of Pears

The nutritional data of pears per 100g

Nutrition	Amount
Water	83.96 %
Energy	57 Kcal
Protein	0.36 g
Total lipid (fat)	0.14 g
Carbohydrate per difference	15.23 g
Fiber	3.1 g
Sugars	9.75 g
Calcium	9 mg
Phosphorus	12 mg
Sodium	1 mg
Vitamin C	4.3mg
Iron	0.18 mg
Vitamin D (D2+3)	0 ug
Vitamin B6	0.029 mg
Vitamin A	1 ug
Vitamin E	0.12 mg
Vitamin K	4.4 ug

Benefits When Bearded Dragon’s Eat Pears

Feeding pears to baby bearded dragons or juvenile bearded dragons are not necessary. There is no need to restrict your bearded dragon’s pear consumption unless your bearded dragon is ill or allergic.

Bearded dragons enjoy eating pear slices as part of their meal or snack. Pears contain all the essential nutrients that most living creatures need to survive, including Vitamin A, C and minerals like calcium and iron.

Bearded dragon owners should do some research and bust the myth and rumors, and lay down some facts about feeding pears in your bearded dragon’s diet.

So, bearded dragons can eat pears in moderation. Pears are high in sugar and low in calcium which is vital to a bearded dragon’s health. It also contains good amounts of fiber and vitamin K.

Overall, adding small quantities of pear as an occasional treat to your bearded dragon’s salad bowl is fine.

Pears are high in fiber

Using the nutrient table; you can see that pears contain 3.1g per 100g, which is really good. Fiber promotes a healthy and regular digestion system and regulates bowel movements.

Vitamin K

Pears also provide decent amounts of vitamin K. Vitamin K is essential for tissue and blood cell maintenance.

Unfortunately, apart from these two nutrients and others in sparing amounts, pears don’t offer too many health benefits to your bearded dragon.

Concerns Of Serving Pears To Bearded Dragons

It is essential to be aware that although pears are considered safe fruits, you must understand that fruit is nutritionally poor and can cause health problems if overfed.

We will break down the concern and debunk myths associated with pears and toxins they contain.

Read on to find out some of the downsides of feeding your bearded dragon pears.

Pears do not offer your beardie enough nutrients to warrant feeding them as a staple food.

Pears Contain Excessive Amounts Of Sugar

As a sweet fruit, it is no surprise that pears contain excessive amounts of sugar. We recommend that sugary items be kept to a minimum for bearded dragons.

It does not mean that you can’t feed bearded dragons most fruit and other items with a sugary content. It does mean that you have to ensure that you are aware of too much sugar in most fruits included in your bearded dragon diet.

A high sugar intake can have a very negative impact on your bearded dragon’s health. This includes tooth decay and gums, stomach aches and even diarrhea, obesity, and your pet dragon being prone to inflammation, infection, and a lot of pain.

Pears Are Low In Calcium

As bearded dragon owners, you are probably well aware by now of the huge role calcium plays in your bearded dragon’s health.

When it comes to pears, they don’t provide enough calcium that your beardie requires as part of the daily intake. When looking at the table we provided, it is clear that pears only provide 9mg of calcium per 100g.

As you can see, pears aren’t a good option to regularly feed your bearded dragon. We recommend that you use calcium supplements to provide the rest of the calcium in your bearded dragon’s diet to provide the rest of the calcium your bearded dragon needs to stop potential problems such as metabolic bone disease.

Poor Calcium To Phosphorus Ratio

Pears are low in calcium, and in addition, they have poor calcium to phosphorus ratio. Phosphorus binds with calcium and stops the absorption and processing of calcium in the body. High in phosphorus foods should not be offered to your bearded pet regularly.

High In Oxalates – Myth Debunked

Pears have a bad reputation for being high in a harmful compound called oxalates.

Oxalates or oxalic acid are natural substances found in many greens, vegetables, fruit, and nuts. Feeding your bearded dragon food high in oxalates will again stop your bearded dragon from processing the much-needed calcium.

But wait! Are pears really high in oxalates? Can bearded dragons eat pears? Researchers have found that pears are low in oxalates and don’t pose any concern to your bearded dragon regarding their oxalate levels.

How Often Can You Feed Pears To Bearded Dragons?

Only give pears to your beardie as part of a well-rounded and varied diet. Pears do not carry lots of protein, but you can provide it with other nutritious foods.

Pears grow very quickly, making them difficult to feed a baby or juvenile bearded dragons. You should never feed your bearded dragon fruit pieces larger than the space between your bearded dragon’s eyes.

Pears can be given to your bearded dragon as a rare occasional treat but not as a staple food.

Prepare Pears For Your Bearded Dragon

When preparing pears for your bearded dragon, first let them ripen. Ripe pears are soft and easy to eat. They will also contain more juice which will be appeal more to your bearded dragon.

Always peel the skin off and only give the inside of the fruit.

You should always cut pears into tiny portions. It makes the fruit easier to consume.

We recommend the best way to provide pear is to use it as a rare treat or in the same salad bowl as a salad topper with other healthy greens such as collard greens, leafy greens, dandelions, etc.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Pear Skin, Stems, Leaves, Or Seeds?

Skin

No, Pear skins should not be included in your beardie’s diet. Pear skins are a bit rough to consume and may contain harmful chemicals. It is tough to chew and might become a choking hazard

Pears are sprayed with pesticides in the field, and these chemicals tend to stick on the pear’s skin.

Chemicals are toxic and can make your dragon very sick.

Stems

Do not feed stems to your bearded dragon because it can cause stomach upset. The stems are also tough and can cause choking or stomach impaction.

Leaves

If you decide to give your bearded dragon pear leaves, you should start by only giving them one leaf. If there are no side effects, you can give it to them, but not regularly. We recommend checking with your vet before feeding pear leaves to bearded dragons

Seeds.

It is often hard to find advice on which seeds are fine to eat and which can cause digestive problems. There is no reason for your beardie to eat pear seeds. We recommend taking out all the seeds and not risking digestive problems.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Canned, Frozen, Or Cooked Pears?

Canned Pears

Canned fruit contains preservatives that might be harmful to your bearded dragon. Canned pears tend to be too sugary and are deemed a high sugar diet for your beardie. It can cause tooth decay, diarrhea, and obesity.

We do not advise that you feed any canned fruit to your bearded dragon.

Frozen Pears

Frozen foods lose most essential nutrients during the freezing process. It means that your bearded dragon will not be receiving

Cooked Pears

Fresh fruits are better given to bearded dragons than cooked pears. If you offer pears with high sugar contents, cooked pears can also not be fed to your bearded dragon too much.

Pears can have peaches in cooked form in small portions.

Wrapping Up

Pears are safe for bearded dragons even though they have a high sugar content and a low calcium content. Pears are suitable as a healthy treat if given in the right portion to avoid consuming too much sugar.

We suggest you try peaches, cantaloupe, pineapple, etc. Bearded dragons love fresh fruit in their diets.

We, however, recommend that you read about any new foods you wish to introduce in your beardies diet. Even food that seems the healthiest might cause health issues.

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: