Can Bearded Dragons Eat Applesauce? 5 Benefits | Full Guide

Applesauce is a puree made from peeled or unpeeled apples and is a nutrition-packed food. Despite its nutritional value, applesauce is not preferred in everyday dier because of the added sugar and other products. 

Bearded dragons can eat anything you offer and consume food humans eat. Most bearded dragons’ diet includes vegetables, fruits, and insects. However, if you are thinking, can bearded dragons eat applesauce? You can feed apples to your bearded dragon but occasionally. Let’s read further to know more. 

Can Bearded Dragons eat applesauce?

Yes, bearded dragons can eat applesauce. It is a healthy treat for them. So the word ‘treat’ here is the operative. However, if you feed it to your bearded dragon, ensure no additives and sugar are added. Sweet applesauce will have a laxative effect on beardies. 

How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Applesauce?

Giving them applesauce a few times per week is good because it prevents the risk of diarrhea. Applesauce is a good treat for your bearded dragon. Therefore, if you decide to feed it to your beardie, follow the instructions. It would help if you only gave them about a teaspoon at a time. This way, it will be safe for them and will not cause an upset stomach. 

5 Benefits of Applesauce for Bearded Dragons

Applesauce is a healthy treat for bearded dragons, and you can feed it to your beardie, which is rich in antioxidants and vitamins that benefit your beaded dragon’s health. Below are a few advantages of applesauce for bearded dragons. 

1: Vitamin B6 Works for Brain Development

Applesauce, bananas, cantaloupe, and papayas are rich in Vitamin B6, which is very important for a bearded dragon. Vitamin B6 helps in the functioning of the immune system function, and it also helps in brain development.  

2: Vitamin C Repairs all Types of Body Tissues

Along with oranges, applesauces are also contains vitamin C, which helps in growth, and formates collagen. Vitamin C also repairs all the blood tissues and maintenance of bones and teeth of a bearded dragon.

3: Vitamin E Promotes Longer Cell Life 

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps repair damage in a bearded dragon’s body. Vitamin E also promotes longer cell life and better eyesight.

4: Prevents Chronic Diseases

It’s a famous saying— an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Apple is a natural cure for chronic diseases. Therefore, if you add applesauce to your bearded dragons, meals once or twice a week can avoid the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. 

5: Soothes an Upset Stomach

Applesauce acts as a natural probiotic for both animals and humans. You can feed it to your bearded dragon to soothe an upset stomach. However, the best way is to provide it in moderation. 

3 Risks of Feeding Applesauce to Bearded Dragons

There are a few risk factors for feeding applesauce to a bearded dragon. As you know, bearded dragons have a sensitive digestive system and can easily get affected. Below are a few disadvantages of applesauce for bearded dragons. 

1: Risk of Digestive Issues

Feeding applesauce regularly is harmful to bearded dragons’ health. It contains sugar and other preservatives. Therefore, ingesting applesauce in large amounts can cause diarrhea and other digestive issues. Applesauce also has a high part of pectin, and bearded dragons’ digestive system cannot break down. It can cause intestinal impaction, which stops healthy digestion in its tracks. 

If you purchase applesauce from stores, it is high in sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, harming your bearded dragon’s digestive system.

2: Risk of Allergies

A bearded dragon can rarely be allergic to applesauce, and regular feeding can cause adverse side effects, such as diarrhea or vomiting. Seeing these signs in your bearded dragon means something is wrong with your pet’s health.

3: Risk of Obesity

If you are overfeeding, applesauce to your bearded dragon can cause obesity in your bearded dragon and make them overweight. Thus it might be an invite to many health problems.

How to Feed Applesauce to Your Bearded Dragons?

If you want to feed applesauce to your bearded dragon, there are a few ways you can follow. Below are a few steps to give applesauce to your bearded dragon.  

Don’t Feed Store-Bought

It would help if you never fed store-bought applesauce to your bearded dragon or any pet. Store-bought applesauce has a high amount of sugar in it. As you read above, the high amount of sugar is harmful to bearded dragons.

Make it Yourself

The best way to feed applesauce to a bearded dragon is by making it at home. Homemade applesauce contains less sugar and preservatives. 

To make applesauce at home, follow the given instructions.

• Wash the apple thoroughly to get rid of pesticides and dirt.
• Peel the apple skin. 
• Remove the seeds.
• Add the apple is a big bowl and boil on medium heat.
• After a few minutes, simmer the heat and boil for 15 more minutes.
• After that, check whether the apples are cooked, turn off the flame and let it cool down.
• After cooling, add the apples to a mixer jar and make a pure. Add ingredients like ginger, cloves, cinnamon, or vanilla for flavor.

Use a Spoon or Eyedropper to Feed

The best way to feed applesauce is to use a spoon to prevent choking, and you can also use an eyedropper to provide if needed.

Conclusion

So, the answer to can bearded dragons eat applesauce is yes; however, providing it in moderation is necessary because it can cause diarrhea. Make sure to feed fresh fruits and vegetables to your bearded dragon to maintain the diet. With that, you should give a little bit of applesauce for taste. Don’t ignore if your beardie is showing signs of constipation or diarrhea. If so, then stop providing applesauce to them.  

There are a few disadvantages of feeding applesauce to your bearded dragon; it is up to you how often you provide your beardie. Giving it very infrequently is better than giving it frequently to prevent any risk.

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