Can Bearded Dragons Eat Carrots | 4 Benefits | Full Guide

Carrots are a great vegetable for strengthening your immune system and supporting the clear vision. You might be wondering if they would also help your beardie. So, here the question comes can bearded dragons eat carrots? 

Bearded dragons are notoriously picky eaters, especially when it comes to vegetables. The well-known healthy food for humans, carrots, can also be included in your bearded dragon’s diet. Adult bearded dragons should typically consume 20% insects and 80% vegetation, so undoubtedly, dragons having carrots in their diet is safe.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Carrots?

Carrots are a fantastic source of nutrition for bearded dragons, as they contain significant amounts of Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene. Since consuming too many foods high in Vitamin A can become hazardous when combined, carrots shouldn’t be a staple of your bearded dragon’s diet.

In addition to being a well-known healthy food for humans, carrots may make a delightful and wholesome addition to your beardie’s meal plan as a vegetable. Since many owners already have some at home (or can quickly get some the next time they’re at the grocery store), this is highly convenient. 

How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Carrots?

Bearded dragons can consume carrots occasionally. Carrots have many benefits, but they should not be your beardie’s primary source of nutrition. You should also give your bearded dragon a reasonable amount of carrots, preferably just enough to finish the salad. It can be much simpler than carefully choosing which vegetables and greens to give your bearded dragon daily to provide it with all the nutrients it requires. 

4 Benefits of Carrots for Bearded Dragons

1: Beta Carotene Aids in Enhancing Skin Color

Carrots’ high beta-carotene content is one of their more obvious advantages, which is regarded as a bonus. A bearded dragon occasionally sheds its skin (also known as molts), as its skin extends very little. The added carotenoids will keep enhancing the skin color of your beardie as it is refreshed. 

2: Vitamin A Works for Health

In addition to beta-carotene, carrots contain significant levels of Vitamin A, which has numerous health advantages for the skin, immune system, eyes, and vision.  

3: Fewer Sugar Amounts Prevent Tooth Decay

Carrots contain little sugar, like the majority of vegetables, and it is crucial since a diet high in sugar has the potential to lead to obesity in bearded dragons. Sugar can harm dragon’s teeth in various ways, resulting in tooth decay, rotting teeth, or even tooth loss.  

4: Appropriate Calcium and Phosphorus Ratio Prevents MBD

When giving your bearded dragon food, it’s crucial to consider the calcium to phosphorus ratio. The items you feed your beardie should ideally have more calcium than phosphorus.

Your bearded dragon has a significant risk of developing severe health issues, including metabolic bone disease, or MBD, if the items you give it are routinely higher in phosphorus. Carrots don’t contain a lot of calcium, but the ratio of calcium to phosphorous is in a safe range so that you can offer them to your beardie.   

2 Risks of Feeding Carrots to Bearded Dragons

1: Vitamin A Toxicity Can Lead to Significant Health Problems 

To avoid letting your beardie take too much Vitamin A and putting them in danger of developing health issues, you should always be conscious of other items you serve that are high in the vitamin. Of course, you should be cautious about giving your pet carrots daily as this can result in a Vitamin-A excess.

Multivitamin supplements are vital in Vitamin-A, and adding vegetables high in Vitamin-A can produce toxicity even if served in tiny portions; if fed too frequently. The conclusion is that you shouldn’t be frightened to give your bearded dragon carrots. Still, you should be aware that providing them often, together with other foods strong in Vitamin A and multivitamin pills, can negatively affect their health.

2: Excess Amount of Oxalates Prevent Calcium Absorption

Calcium becomes bio-inaccessible to the bearded dragon that consumes it because oxalic acid binds to it. Since calcium is a crucial mineral that bearded dragons must consume, it shouldn’t be bonded to oxalates rather than absorbed. Your beardie should not consume meals high in oxalate.

How does this affect carrots, then? Giving your beardie a small quantity of carrots is acceptable, and the oxalate level won’t harm if accompanied by a healthy diet and supplement routine.

Do Carrots Cause Vitamin A Toxicity in Bearded Dragons?

Carrots contain large amounts of Vitamin A to support your beardie’s healthy skin, robust immune system, and clear vision. However, you should consult your veterinarian before giving your bearded dragon carrots if it currently takes Vitamin A, beta carotene supplements, or any multivitamin that might include these nutrients. 

Your dragon may have a toxicity issue if you combine these supplements with food containing a substantial amount of Vitamin A. Carrots alone have very little chance of toxicity in Vitamin A.

However, when given supplement doses of Vitamin A, they can occasionally increase the amount of the vitamin past the safe level, resulting in unpleasant health problems related to Vitamin A toxicity.

If your bearded dragon displays any of these signs, he might have hypervitaminosis A (an overdose of Vitamin A): swelling, reduction in energy, dehydration, and weight loss. If you encounter any such problems, call your veterinarian right away. 

How to Prepare Carrots for Your Bearded Dragons?

There are a few easy steps to follow before you can feed carrots to your bearded dragon, whether you choose to serve them raw or cooked. 

Look for Good Carrots for Your Beardies 

Picking carrots for your bearded dragon is similar to picking out carrots for yourself or your family.

A good, even, healthy-looking complexion, fresh-looking tops, and rich color are things to seek. Ensure that the carrot has no strange markings or regions that look decaying. Whenever possible, purchase organic or locally grown carrots.

Wash the Carrots Properly

It is crucial to wash the carrot carefully. Carrots are frequently treated in a chlorine solution and may contain pesticide and herbicide residue on their skin. Unsurprisingly, giving your beardie too much of this might cause several health issues.

You must clean the carrot by rubbing it under cold running water, but always give it a quick once-over to ensure it is clean and free of debris. Making sure your bearded dragon is consuming nutritious carrots will benefit significantly from a few more seconds of your time.

Cut or Grate the Carrots

Since cooked carrots are softer than raw ones, chopping them into small pieces is typically OK when feeding them to your bearded dragon. On the other hand, raw carrots require a somewhat different approach.

The easiest way to prepare raw carrots for your bearded dragon is to grate them using cheese or other fine graters. You can cut the carrot into tiny slices if you don’t have a cheese grater.

Watch Your Beardie Eat

There are no complicated processes to feeding the prepared carrot to your bearded dragon, but you have some possibilities.

The best way to offer carrots is to combine grated or cooked portions with any other greens you’re feeding your beardie. It will help to ensure that your bearded dragon consumes more than just the carrot in the bowl (which is good for moderation).    

Conclusion

Now you know can bearded dragons eat carrots or not, it’s time to plan how you’ll fit them into their current food schedule. Remember, no law requires you to feed your beardie carrots, but a little variety is usually welcome. 

Carrots are safe to eat for bearded dragons, and they should not be utilized as a primary source of nutrition. You should not feed carrots regularly due to their low calcium content, and you can feed carrots to your beardie once or twice a week. 

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