Carrot is a popular vegetable to grow in the garden. They are delicious and packed with a lot of nutrition. Humans can eat carrots and enjoy using it in their favorite salads, soups, and stews. If you own a bearded dragon, you may be wondering if you can feed carrots to them too.
So can bearded dragons eat carrots? Bearded dragons can eat carrots and it’s actually great for them. However, due to the high amount of vitamin A, carrots can be bad for them if it’s eaten too much.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Baby Carrots?
Yes, bearded dragons can eat baby carrots.
You may have heard stories of baby carrots being washed in chlorine prior to being sold in the grocery stores. While this is true, not only are baby carrots washed in chlorine, but all veggies are as well.
Food companies rinse them in a chlorine wash to eliminate bacteria (including E. coli and Salmonella) that can cause food-borne illnesses. Afterward, they are rinsed again with potable water to remove the chlorine.
There is no health risk to the bearded dragons as the chlorine evaporates fairly quickly leaving just water. Also, the amount of chlorine used is similar to the amount used in public drinking water.
Therefore, like any other vegetables, you can feed them baby carrots.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Carrot Tops or Leaves?
Bearded dragons can eat carrot tops and leaves. However, they should be fed to them in moderation. The carrot greens are high on oxalates, which can be harmful to them in large amounts.
Before feeding them to the beardie, make sure to clean it thoroughly first to remove any chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and insects. If not, they will get passed down to the beardie when they eat them and will eventually make them sick from it.
When feeding the carrot tops or leaves, it’s recommended to finely chop them up first. This will make it easier for them to eat and digest it.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Carrot Skin?
The skin of the carrots is nutritious and bearded dragons can eat them. However, it’s recommended to not feed them unless you know where the carrots came from.
This part of the carrot may contain chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides. This chemical is dangerous for bearded dragons and could cause them severe health issues.
Therefore, only feed them carrots that are organically grown whether it’s from the grocery stores or your own backyard garden.
When feeding them carrot skin, it’s best to cut it into small pieces to prevent choking and it’ll be easier for them to digest.
Another option if you want to feed them carrot skin is to mince the whole carrot including the skin into tiny pieces. This way, they’ll eat the flesh of the carrot and the skin as well.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Canned Carrots?
Canned carrots aren’t recommended for feeding bearded dragons. Food that is canned will have less nutrition than fresh foods. Also, there will also be preservatives added to them to preserve the taste and quality.
Bearded dragons have a sensitive digestive system and those additives and preservatives could cause their digestive system to have issues.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Frozen Carrots?
Frozen carrots can be fed to bearded dragons. You’ll have to defrost them first before giving any to them.
When feeding them frozen carrots, make sure to not feed them too much of it. As the carrots thaw, it will still retain a lot of water.
Too much water isn’t a good thing for bearded dragons. If they are fed a lot of frozen carrots, it could lead to them having diarrhea.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cooked Carrots?
Bearded dragons can eat cooked carrots. Some will enjoy eating it, while others don’t.
Even though it’s safe for them to eat cooked carrots, it’s generally not recommended. When carrots are cooked, they will lose most of their nutrition. By feeding them cooked carrots, you’ll be just feeding them water.
Therefore, it’s better to give them raw carrots where all the nutrition is intact and much healthier for them.
Do Carrots Cause Vitamin A Toxicity in Bearded Dragons?
Carrots are one of the vegetables that have a high amount of vitamin A. This vitamin helps the bearded dragon by making their immune system strong, maintain healthy skin, and good vision.
However, when there is a significant amount of Vitamin A in their body, it will cause a toxicity problem for them.
If your bearded dragon is given Vitamin A or beta carotene supplements, or multivitamins that contain Vitamin A, you should refrain from feeding them carrots.
When Vitamin A supplements are combined with carrots being fed to them, there will be too much Vitamin A in their body. This will cause Vitamin A toxicity, which will make your bearded dragon sick or could even cause death.
If you’re feeding them just carrots alone, it’s unlikely it cause Vitamin A toxicity. Another name for this is hypervitaminosis A or overdose of Vitamin A.
However, feeding them too many carrots could cause Vitamin A toxicity. By too much, it means feeding them carrots each day or 5-6 carrots at each feeding.
If your bearded dragons are suffering from Vitamin A toxicity, they will usually exhibit the following symptoms:
- Dehydration
- Loss of appetite
- Not active
- Hiding for a prolonged time
- Swelling
- Weight Loss
If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s best to take them to the veterinary as soon as possible.
How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Carrots?
Carrots aren’t found in their natural habitat so it’s not part of their staple diet. This root vegetable isn’t necessary to keep the bearded dragons alive and healthy.
Therefore carrots should be given to them in moderation. A couple of times per week is enough for the beardie to get all the nutrition from the carrots.
How To Feed Carrots To Bearded Dragons
Before you can feed them carrots, you’ll need to prepare it first. Bearded dragons will not be able to eat a whole carrot so you’ll need to feed them in small pieces.
As for the carrots itself, depending on where you get them first, you may need to remove the skin of it. If it’s bought at the grocery stores, more than likely, chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides will be used to grow them. Remove the skin off the carrots before feeding them to the bearded dragons.
On the other hand, if it’s grown in your own garden and no chemicals are used, leaving the skin on is fine. While the skin seems thin, it does have a lot of nutrients in it.
Below are the steps to prepare and feed carrots to the bearded dragons:
- Wash the carrots thoroughly under cool water to remove dirt and other debris.
- If the carrots are organically grown, you can keep the skin on. Otherwise, remove the skin using a kitchen knife or a mini peeler.
- Cut the carrot into small pieces to about the size of their eyes. Large pieces of carrots can cause the beardie to choke on it.
- Put the pieces into the feeder bowl and place it in their enclosure.
For baby bearded dragons, you will want to shred the carrots first. This will prevent them from choking on it.
