Can bearded dragons eat squash?

image of bearded dragon, squash and a text saying: can bearded dragons eat squash?

Ups And Downs Of Feeding Squash To Bearded Dragons

Do you wonder what to feed your bearded dragon?   can eat various foods, including insects, fruits, and vegetables.  But can bearded dragons eat squash? The answer is yes. Bearded dragons enjoy many different kinds of squash, including butternut, acorn, spaghetti, and summer, to name a few.

This article will explore general information about squash.

What is Squash?

Squash is the common name of different plants from the same family. It grows from the flowering part of plants and has seeds inside, which is why they are considered fruits and not vegetables.

Squash has two groups: winter and summer. The Winter group includes butternut, pumpkin, acorn, kabocha, and Hubbard.

Summer ones are zucchini and yellow squash, straight or crooked.

Benefits Of Feeding Bearded Dragons Squash

image of bearded dragon and squash

In  a proper amount, squash offers a healthy serving of vitamins and minerals:

  • Antioxidants
  • Vitamin A and C: These are essential to development, a healthy immune system, vision, breeding, sustaining, and restoring organs and tissues.
  • Vitamin K: helps control blood clotting and bone wellbeing of bearded dragons.
  • Fiber: facilitates smooth digestive flow.
  • Vitamin B6 and folate increase vitality and keep the nervous system alive.
  • Thiamine: helps retain healthy nerve tissue.
  • Manganese: contributes to metabolism.
  • Magnesium: promotes the wellbeing of the muscles and the brain of bearded dragons.
  • Potassium:  regulates nerve and blood pressure.

Risks Of feeding Bearded Dragons Squash

Low Calcium

Squash is relatively low in calcium.  Calcium-rich foods are essential for bearded dragons, especially for overall health and strong bones.  Bearded dragons get more calcium from plants than insects. It is vital to ensure they eat the right foods. Squash isn’t rich in calcium, so a daily filling in your beardie’s salad bowl is not recommended.

Poor Calcium to Phosphorus ratio

Squash has more phosphorus than calcium. The ideal range should be 1:1 to 2:1, calcium to phosphorus.  

Risk of Metabolic Bone Disease

Since squash has higher levels of phosphorus levels than does calcium, it can make your bearded dragon sick when they eat too much of it. Phosphorus binds with calcium in the body and prevents calcium absorption into the bloodstream. 

Too much phosphorus over time will deplete your pet bearded dragon’s calcium supply, which can result in calcium deficiency and, ultimately, metabolic bone disease.

Alert your vet immediately if you notice any signs of metabolic bone disease in your bearded dragon. These include:

  • Lack of appetite
  • Lethargy and weakness
  • Stress
  • Constipation
  • Receded lower jaw
  • Swollen limbs and jaw
  • Bumps along the spine or bones
  • Soft jaw and facial bones
  • Bowed limbs and arched spine
  • Fractures and broken bones
  • Greenstick fractures (folded or bent bones)
  • Trembling and twitching limbs
  • Tremors and seizures
  • Paralysis or difficulty moving

How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Squash?

You should add squash to your bearded dragon’s diet once a month, which is sufficient for keeping your beardie healthy. Feeding them squash too often is bad for their health.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cooked Squash?

Raw squash has far more benefits than cooking it does. Cooking evaporates the levels of vitamins and minerals in the squash. Only feed uncooked squash to your bearded dragon. 

Preparing Squash For Bearded Dragons

image of squash

,  As with all vegetables and fruit, there is preparation involved to ensure the food is safe and ready for your beardie to eat.  Here are some quick and easy preparation tips.

Buy Organic: Organic vegetables are the best choice for a bearded dragon.  Fresh greens are the next best substitute. Wash Them Well: You need to wash the squash well before giving it  to your dragon. Cleaning it will remove all the foreign materials and other chemicals outside the plant that may be harmful to your beardie. 

Remove the Peels: Your bearded dragon cannot eat squash rinds. They are too hard for your dragon to bite through and can get stuck in its throat.

Cut Them Up: Beardies can eat peeled squash directly. But, it is better to cut them up to bite-sized pieces that are easier for them to digest. 

Serve Them: Put the squash in a bowl as treats or add them to a salad. After all that preparation, your dragon should be able to eat the squash without any problems. 

Conclusion

Bearded dragons can safely eat squash once a month. The squash should be raw and in tiny pieces when eaten.

Always research the new food you want to introduce to your bearded dragon.  Even food that seems the most nutritional may be dangerous for your bearded pet dragon.  

If you remain unsure, please ask your vet for advice. 

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.