ᐅ Can Bearded Dragons Eat Pineapple?

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Can Your Beardie’s Diet Get Tropical?

Pineapple is one of the yummiest tropical fruits enjoyed by us in the heat of summer. This sweet, yet tart and juicy fruit are rich in disease-fighting nutrients. You might want to share this delicious treat with your pet dragon, but can bearded dragons eat pineapple?

The short answer is that yes, bearded dragons can eat pineapples. But this, like other fruits, should be given in moderation.

So make sure you read the rest of the articles, and we’ll tell you all about how you can make this a safe treat and how to prepare it (which is important).

Upside Of Pineapple In Your Bearded Dragon’s Diet

Although pineapple is without a doubt a healthy snack for humans and bearded dragons alike, it can only be fed to your beardie once or twice a month. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of pineapple in your bearded dragon’s diet.

Boosted immune system Pineapple is almost overflowing with antioxidants and vitamin C which protects against disease and inflammation.

Smooth digestion Pineapple is rich in fiber. Should your beardie happen to get clogged up, the fiber in pineapple is a great source to help constipation and get your beardie flowing again.

Energy and metabolism Without energy, your beardie cannot chase down insects or enjoy time with you. This is where a healthy metabolism steps in. Pineapples contain carbohydrates, manganese, and 88% water which generates energy and metabolism to keep your dragon going.

Healthy heart, cells, brain, blood, and nerves Pineapples contain potassium, copper, folate, vitamin B6 and magnesium. All these components work together to ensure that your bearded little friend’s most vital organs and systems are functioning perfectly.

The Nutritional Value Of 100g Of Pineapple

Ingredient	Amount
Sugars	9.85g
Fiber	1.4g
Vitamin C	47.8mg
Calcium	13mg
Phosphorus	8mg
Vitamin A	3µg

Downside Of Feeding Your Bearded Dragon Pineapple All The Time.

With all the mentioned benefits, why can your beardie not have pineapple all the time?

Oxalates The biggest problem with this yummy tropical fruit is oxalates. There is a moderate amount of oxalates or oxalic acid in pineapples. Oxalates like phosphorus prevent calcium absorption. With pineapples not being calcium-rich, your beardie can develop metabolic bone disease if it should eat pineapple regularly. It’s best to keep it to only once or twice a month.

Sugar This is the main reason bearded dragons cannot have pineapple every day. Pineapple has a huge amount of sugar and even though it is natural sugar it is just not healthy for your beardie to eat. Too much sugar can lead to liver disease, obesity, tooth decay, and even death.

Acid Pineapple is highly acidic and can irritate your beardie’s stomach lining causing diarrhea. One of the problems associated with diarrhea is dehydration.

Preparing Fresh Pineapple For Your Bearded Dragon

how to feed pineapples to bearded dragons

When you’ve decided to serve your bearded dragon pineapple, you can start by removing the tough skin and leaves. This will prevent your beardie from choking or getting gut impaction. You can cut the pineapple into circular pieces and remove the core.

Continue by slicing the pineapple fruit into very small pieces. You can serve this tropical fruit with a few pieces of kiwi, banana, or mango as a delicious fruit salad. Avoid giving your beardie dried pineapple or pineapple juice as these are both very high in sugar.

What About The Other Parts?

The only part you should ever give your bearded dragon is the fleshy part of the pineapple. Never give the skin or leaves to your bearded dragon because this can be very dangerous to your pet.

Although the leaves are leafy and green, they can be toxic and difficult for your beardie to digest. The skin is very tough and covered in thorns while the core is also very tough to digest.

Can Baby Bearded Dragons Eat Pineapple?

Pineapple must be totally off-limits to your baby bearded dragon. Although it is high in nutrition, it contains oxalates, a high amount of sugar, and is highly acidic. All of these will put your baby beardie’s frail body in danger. Rather feed them food that benefits them and helps them grow like acorn squash, bell peppers, collard greens, etc.

Conclusion

Pineapples are safe for your bearded dragon to eat, but like other fruits, they must be given in moderation. Bearded dragons do well with fresh, frozen, and canned pineapple provided that you thaw the frozen pineapple ahead of time.

Save pineapple for an occasional treat to prevent health issues like obesity and metabolic bone disease. As long as you keep to moderation, you can feed your pet dragon with a clear conscience.

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?