Can bearded dragons eat cucumber? Yes, bearded dragons can eat cucumbers. It has plenty of nutrition that your beardie can benefit from. Cucumber should only be fed to them in small amounts, once or twice per month. It has too much water, which can cause them to have diarrhea.
Is It Safe For Bearded Dragons To Eat Cucumbers?
Bearded dragons can safely eat cucumbers. It doesn’t have any toxins that could make them sick. However, how much you feed them can make cucumber unsafe for them.
While it’s nutritious, cucumber has a very high amount of water. A bearded dragon that consumes food that has a lot of water will have digestive problems, such as diarrhea and an upset stomach.
Also, cucumber has very little calcium, which isn’t good for a beardie. They need a lot of calcium in their diet to prevent metabolic bone disease.
The metabolic bone disease occurs when the beardie has a calcium deficiency.
Therefore, to prevent cucumber from causing them any health issues, feed the vegetable to your beardie in small amounts, once or twice per month.
Is It Healthy For Bearded Dragons To Eat Cucumbers?
Cucumber is healthy for bearded dragons to eat since it contains many essential vitamins and minerals that they need.
Below are some health benefits of feeding cucumbers to your bearded dragon:
Good For Hydration
Cucumber has a high amount of water, which is good for hydration. During the summer, feeding cucumbers to your beardie can keep them from becoming dehydrated.
Improve Digestion
Cucumber is a good source of fiber, which will help improve digestion. Fiber cannot be digested and absorbed by the body. Instead, fiber help bulks up the stool, which will help it move through the digestive tract smoothly.
Also, fiber helps prevent constipation, which is something that often occurs to bearded dragons kept in captivity.
Boost Immune System
Cucumber has a good amount of vitamin C. This vitamin helps give the beard dragon’s immune system a boost.
When beardie has a strong immune system, they are less likely to become sick. If your beardie does become sick, giving them plenty of vitamin C-rich food will help them recover quickly.
Can Baby Bearded Dragons Eat Cucumbers?
Baby bearded dragons can eat cucumbers, but only on occasion.
When they are young, their diet should be made up of food that is high in protein. This means live food should make up 80% of their diet, while the rest should be veggies. You can also add fruits to their diet, but in a very small amount.
As they get older, the number will be reversed. Adult bearded dragons will require 80% veggies and 20% live food.
While you can feed them cucumbers, there are other veggies that are much better suited for baby bearded dragons. This includes acorn squash, bell peppers, collard greens, and mustard greens.
How To Feed Cucumbers To Bearded Dragons
Before you can feed cucumbers to your beardie, you’ll need to prepare them first. Your beardie will be unable to eat the cucumber whole.
- Pick the freshest cucumber to feed your bearded dragon. When cucumber is at its freshest, it will contain the most nutrition.
- With a knife, peel the skin of the cucumber. The skin is too tough for them to eat, which can cause them to choke on it. It can also cause impaction as well.
- Then cut the cucumber in halves and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Like the skin, the seeds can cause your beardie to choke on it.
- After all the seeds are scooped out, cut the cucumber into small pieces. Each piece of the cucumber should be no larger than the distance between both of their eyes.
- Next, place the cucumber into their bowl for them to eat.
How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cucumbers?
Cucumbers are a great choice for bearded dragons, so long as they are not fed to them too often. Too much of a good thing can cause your lizard to have digestive problems, so try to limit the amount of cucumber you feed them.
For bearded dragons to enjoy cucumbers and don’t have any health issues from eating them, you should give them a small amount, once or twice per month.
Other Vegetables That Bearded Dragons Can Eat
Asparagus
Asparagus is a great snack for bearded dragons, but you should avoid feeding them the stems (which can be toxic) and make sure to feed them plenty of other vegetables to ensure they are getting all the nutrients they need.
Lettuce
Lettuce may not be the most popular food to feed your bearded dragon, but it certainly can be an option. Although lettuce is high in water and low in nutritional value, it does provide a great opportunity for your pet to consume some vitamin K and fiber that they might otherwise miss out on if their diet was lacking this vegetable.
Yellow Squash
Yellow squash is a healthy vegetable that is low in calories and high in vitamins. While bearded dragons can eat yellow squash, it shouldn’t be the only food they eat. Bearded dragons should also have fresh fruit, leafy greens, vegetables, and live food.
Conclusion
In conclusion, bearded dragons can eat cucumbers. However, just like anything else, they need to eat the right amount. This means just a couple of small pieces of cucumber every 2 weeks or so.
