If you’ve been experimenting with a variety of leafy greens and fresh fruit to ensure your pet has a balanced diet, you may have wondered, “can bearded dragons eat Blueberries?.”
Many common fruits like watermelon or cherries can be made part of a bearded dragon diet, and blueberries are one of them.
However, you need to consider what makes a healthy diet and how various fruits- like these berries- can affect it.
Keep reading to learn more!
READ MORE: Can Bearded Dragons Have Cherries?
Table of Contents
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Blueberries?
Adult bearded dragons can absolutely eat blueberries in moderation, but they should not be allowed blueberries every day.
As a rule of thumb, fresh blueberries can be fed one or two times per week as an occasional treat.
On the whole, they are one of the safer fruits to add to your beardie’s diet. They are not as acidic as citrus fruit or toxic like avocados.
Whole blueberries can be a choking hazard for your bearded dragon, so cut them in half before feeding them as a special treat.
Aim to feed no more than about five sliced blueberries in a week.
Always make sure your blueberries are organic and free of pesticides. Wash them in cold, filtered water just to make sure before feeding them to your beardie
Make sure to remove any uneaten fruit from their food bowl or vivarium to prevent spoilage and bacteria.
Now that we’ve covered those basics, let’s find out if there’s any real benefit to including these berries in your beardie’s diet.
READ MORE: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Watermelon?
Benefits of Blueberries for Bearded Dragons
There are several health benefits that blueberries have for bearded dragons:
- They have a high water content, so they help to keep your beardie hydrated.
- They are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, which support the immune system, promote heart health, and reduce inflammation.
- They are a source of vitamin K, which helps blood clotting and bone development.
- They are also a good source of Manganese and fiber.
- They provide a source of carbohydrates, which is good for keeping up energy levels.
Risks of Blueberries for Bearded Dragons
- Fruits like Blueberries are high in sugar. High sugar levels can cause major health issues related to obesity, heart health, and tooth decay. It can also interfere with their digestion, causing over-fermentation.
- Blueberries have a dangerous calcium to phosphorus ratio. The ideal is between 1.5:1 to 2:1, while the blueberry ratio of calcium to phosphorus is 1:1.6.
Phosphorus binds with calcium in the bloodstream and prevents it from being absorbed, so it can make your bearded dragon sick.
This lack of calcium compared to phosphorus can lead to hyperparathyroidism or a severe calcium deficiency. It can also lead to metabolic bone disorder (MBD).
As with any other dietary factor that interferes with the body’s absorption of calcium, this can lead to bone deformities, lethargy, anorexia, tremors, or worse.
- Levels of oxalates or oxalic acid also need to be taken into account. Like phosphorus, oxalates bind with calcium and prevent it from being absorbed in the bloodstream causing metabolic bone disorder or hypercalcemia.
While blueberries are quite low in oxalates—4 grams per cup—this needs to be considered if you are feeding leafy greens with high amounts of oxalates such as collard greens, or mustard greens.
Check our e-book for more tips on feeding your bearded dragon properly.
Check: Can Bearded Dragons Have Tomatoes?
FAQs
Can Baby Bearded Dragons Eat Blueberries?
No, bearded baby bearded dragons should not eat blueberries. As they are growing, they need higher calcium levels, and their diet should mainly come from insect protein such as crickets. Fresh leafy vegetables should be made available for them to eat as they choose.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Black Blueberries?
Yes, you can feed bearded dragon berries from the Black Highbush Blueberry plants if you know where to find them. These berries usually grow in the wild, so make sure you don’t mistake them for another kind of berry.
If you found a black blueberry in the store, it may simply be a particularly dark berry. Make sure it isn’t soft or overripe. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t feed it to your beardie!
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Dried Blueberries?
No, a bearded dragon should never eat dried blueberries. Without the water content of the fresh fruit, the sugars in the dried blueberry become highly concentrated. Just an ounce of dried blueberries contains 0.74 ounces (21 grams) of sugar. Meanwhile, an ounce of fresh blueberries has only 0.099 ounces (2.1 grams).
Can Bearded Dragons eat Frozen Blueberries?
There is a debate over whether bearded dragons should be allowed frozen blueberries. Some say that pesticides and preservatives make frozen blueberries dangerous. In contrast, others argue that because the fruit is frozen while it is at its peak ripeness, its nutrients are better preserved.
It’s best to make your own informed decision on this topic, but if you do decide to feed frozen blueberries, be sure you buy them organic and free of pesticides or additives.
Conclusion
Adult bearded dragons can certainly eat fresh blueberries about once a week.
As with any fruit, the key is moderation. Fruits should never make up more than about 10% of their total plant-based food. They should also get their daily live feed of insects such as crickets or Dubai roaches.
References
- “Bearded Dragons – Feeding.” 2021. Vca_corporate. 2021. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/bearded-dragons-feeding.
- “Blueberries, Raw Nutrition Facts & Calories.” 2018. Self.com. 2018. https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1851/2.
- Ness, Robert. n.d. “CALCIUM & PHOSPHORUS CONTENT of SELECTED FOODS 1.” http://nessexotic.com/docs/Calcium.pdf.
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