It is recommended that you dust your bearded dragon’s food with a calcium and vitamin supplement about twice per week. This will ensure that your bearded dragon has a balanced diet and adequate nutrition.
Vitamins and minerals are important for growth and general health, and dusting twice per week can help to ensure that your beardie is getting all of the necessary nutrients. You can use a variety of supplements, including a multi-vitamin, a reptile-specific vitamin, and a calcium supplement containing Vitamin D3.
Be sure to always follow the instructions on the product label and provide your bearded dragon with a well-rounded diet including live feeders, fruits, and vegetables to make sure they are getting all of the necessary nutrients.
Do Beardies need insects every day?
Yes, Beardies need to get insects as part of their daily diet. Insects are a crucial source of protein, fats, calcium and micronutrients. Keep in mind that even if you provide a variety of fruits and vegetables, they won’t meet all the nutritional needs of a Bearded Dragon.
Consulting with a veterinarian regarding the appropriate amount and type of insects to feed your Bearded Dragon on a daily basis is highly recommended. Live insects are preferable to their frozen counterparts.
Typical insects would include crickets, Dubia roaches, mealworms, waxworms and Phoenix worms. Avoid giving them wild-caught insects, butterflies or the occasional dragonfly. Variety is the spice of life, so try to give your Beardie a mix of insects every day.
Just make sure they are not overfed, as too many insects can cause digestive issues.
Can I feed dead bugs to my bearded dragon?
No, you should not feed dead bugs to your bearded dragon. Live food is preferable because the live food will contain more nutrients and give more stimulation for the lizard. Bearded dragons are omnivorous and need a balanced diet of live insects, plant matter and a supplement of vitamins.
Live bugs not only provide moisture and protein (which is important for their metabolism), but also contain essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients for their health and development.
Dead bugs may contain some of these nutrients, but likely not enough to make up for the lack of stimulation, movement, and nutrition that live insects can provide. Additionally, dead bugs may contain bacteria or parasites that can be harmful to your bearded dragon.
For these reasons, it is recommended that you provide a variety of live bugs, such as mealworms, waxworms, locusts, cockroaches, and crickets, as part of your bearded dragon’s overall diet.
What is the insect to feed a bearded dragon daily?
Bearded dragons are omnivorous lizards native to Australia, which means they can eat a variety of both animal and plant-based foods. When it comes to feeding your bearded dragon, you should provide them with a variety of insects as a staple of their diet.
This includes, crickets, mealworms, wax worms, superworms, locust, and/or roaches. The size and type of insect should depend on the size of your bearded dragon. For example, baby bearded dragons should be fed newborn crickets, while larger bearded dragons can handle larger insects.
You should also rotate the insects offered to your bearded dragon to provide them with a variety of nutrients. You should feed your bearded dragon roughly 8 to 10 appropriately sized insects each day.
It is important to note that you should gut-load the insects with high calcium vegetables before feeding them to your bearded dragon as this will provide them with additional nutrients. You should also dust the insects with a calcium supplement 1-2 times per week.
What insects can Beardies eat daily?
Bearded dragons can eat a variety of insects on a daily basis, including mealworms, waxworms, crickets, roaches, and beetles. It’s important to feed your beardie gut loaded, calcium-dusted insects every day as part of a balanced diet.
When it comes to the size of the insects you provide, they should be small enough to fit comfortably in your beardie’s mouth, but not so small that they can be swallowed whole. Additionally, always be sure to dust the insects with a calcium and mineral supplement once a week.
How long can my beardie go without bugs?
Your bearded dragon can go several weeks without eating bugs, although they should eventually get them back into their diet as they pack important nutrients not always found in their regular diet. Generally, a bearded dragon can go about four weeks without bugs; however, this can vary depending on the size and age of your bearded dragon.
It’s important to be aware that if your bearded dragon isn’t receiving regular nutrition from their regular diet and doesn’t eat enough bugs, they can become malnourished. Symptoms of malnourishment can include weight loss and a decrease in size.
To ensure your bearded dragon is getting the necessary nutrients, you should supplement their regular diet with bugs at least a few times per week to ensure that your beardie remains healthy and happy.
Should I Feed My bearded dragon roaches everyday?
No, you should not feed your bearded dragon roaches everyday. Although roaches are a natural part of a bearded dragon’s diet in the wild, and can be an excellent nutritional supplement for captive dragons, it is not recommended to feed them everyday.
In fact, roaches should make up a small portion of your dragon’s dietary intake, and should be alternated with other insects such as crickets, mealworms, and waxworms. Too many roaches can cause your dragon to gain too much weight and be at risk of obesity.
Additionally, a diet that consists entirely of roaches can lead to constipation, as roaches lack the essential fiber necessary to keep your dragon’s digestive system running smoothly. It is best to feed your bearded dragon a variety of insects every 2-3 days to ensure they are getting the right amounts of calcium and other essential minerals.
Do bearded dragons need calcium powder every day?
No, bearded dragons do not need calcium powder every day in order to stay healthy. While calcium is a important part of a bearded dragon’s diet, feeding them calcium powder on a daily basis is unnecessary.
A balanced diet of insects and vegetables should provide them with the calcium they need. If a bearded dragon is deficient in calcium, rather than giving them calcium powder daily, owners should seek out alternative food sources like fortified fruits, vegetables, and dog kibble that contain calcium or as a last resort, consult with a veterinarian about supplementation.
In addition to a balanced diet, providing bearded dragons with access to natural sunlight or UVB light is essential for helping them to properly metabolize calcium.
What happens if you give a bearded dragon too much calcium?
Giving a bearded dragon too much calcium can cause a potentially fatal condition known as metabolic bone disease (MBD). MBD is caused when a bearded dragon’s diet has too much calcium relative to the other essential vitamins and minerals they need.
Symptoms of MBD can include deformities of the bones or backbone, arching of the back and neck, twitching, difficulty moving or breathing, and fragility of the bones, especially in the tail and feet.
The condition can even lead to seizures and paralysis. In severe cases, the beard dragon may feel pain and have difficulty eating, digesting, and eliminating waste, leading to further health problems.
The best way to ensure a beard dragon is getting the right amount of calcium and other vitamins and minerals they need is to feed them a balanced diet of insects and leafy greens, and give them access to a high-quality, vitamin-rich calcium and vitamin supplement.
How often should I dust crickets with calcium?
It is recommended that you dust crickets with calcium powder no more than twice a week. However, crickets can become used to the same food or powder over time, so it is a good idea to mix up the types of gut-load foods, supplements and dusting powders you offer them.
You may want to offer calcium powder just once a week. Additionally, the age and size of the crickets should be taken into account, as smaller and younger crickets may not need as much powder as larger, older crickets.
Be sure not to over supplement and always provide gut-load feed whenever possible.
Can you overdose reptile calcium?
Yes, it is possible to overdose reptiles with calcium. The normal range for healthy reptiles is 1.5g/kg of food. If reptiles are given too much calcium, they can develop health issues, including: skeletal disruptions, organ dysfunction, decreased blood calcium levels, seizures, heart failure, and even death.
It is important to monitor your reptile’s calcium intake and stick to the proper amount for their species’ needs. Additionally, reptiles should have access to a good source of dietary calcium, such as crickets and other insects, bone meal, and dark leafy greens.
Does calcium help bearded dragons poop?
Yes, calcium can help bearded dragons poop. This is because calcium is an essential mineral for their digestion, which is important for their health. It helps to break down food, absorb nutrients, and move waste out of the body.
Bearded dragons get their calcium from their diet, so providing ample calcium in their meals should help them to have regular, healthy bowel movements. Calcium can also be supplemented to their diet if needed.
Can bearded dragons get too much vitamins?
Yes, bearded dragons can get too much vitamins if they are overfed with foods that are rich in vitamins. Too much vitamins can lead to serious health issues, and in extreme cases, death. Vitamin supplementation should only be done in moderation and only when absolutely necessary.
If there is concern that the bearded dragon is not receiving the necessary vitamins from diet, it is best to consult a veterinarian for professional advice. Over supplementation can cause the bearded dragon’s body to become overwhelmed, leading to vitamin toxicity and dangerous vitamin imbalances.
Symptoms of vitamin toxicity include poor appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and changes in behavior. If signs of vitamin toxicity are noticed, it is important to stop supplementing and consult a veterinarian as soon as possible.
What should healthy bearded dragon poop look like?
A healthy bearded dragon’s poop should be dark brown or black and the consistency should be firm but slightly moist. Ideally, the poo should be mostly in one piece and even in shape but could contain a bit of breakage from its size.
There may also be some urates present and these look like white chunks which are a normal part of the bearded dragon’s digestion. You also may occasionally find fecal matter sticking around the nostril, as this is a normal action that they do.
Bearded dragon’s can also experience occasional constipation, so it is important to pay attention to the frequency of their pooping. Generally, they should be pooping one to two times per day to indicate a healthy diet, and any change should be noted.
If the poop is infrequent, or small, loose stools are present, this is an indication of impingement from a dietary issue and should be monitored closely.
Do you put calcium powder on vegetables for bearded dragons?
No, you should not put calcium powder on vegetables for bearded dragons. Calcium is an important mineral for them, since it helps with bone development, but putting it directly onto the vegetables can be harmful.
Calcium powder does not absorb properly into the vegetables, so the bearded dragon is not getting the full benefit of the supplement, and it could potentially cause an overdose. Calcium should be provided to the bearded dragon in their diet with the use of calcium-rich foods, such as collard greens, endive, mustard greens, or turnip greens.
You can also use commercial bearded dragon foods that are supplemented with the proper ratios of vitamins and minerals, including calcium.