Can Bearded Dragons Eat Kiwi? Benefits, Risks & How to Feed

Kiwi, loaded with numerous health benefits, is commonly known for its vitamin C and fiber content. It is both tasty and highly nutritious. The minerals and enzymes in it help ensure the optimal function of various body parts.

Bearded dragons eat a variety of food that includes various insects, vegetables, and different fruits. There is a long list of food items recommended for bearded dragons, but there are still a few food items pet owners should avoid feeding their pets.

So, can bearded dragons eat kiwi? What is the appropriate amount? Let’s get into depth and understand the benefits and risks of feeding kiwi to bearded dragons. 

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Kiwi?

Yes, bearded dragons can eat kiwis; it is safe to add kiwis to their diet as it has numerous nutritious benefits secretly packed in that green fruit. Kiwi is a tasty green fruit that’s like a treat for a bearded dragon. But one important thing to remember is that it should be given to them periodically. If you feed your beardie kiwi too often, it can cause serious health issues.

Along with Kiwi, it’s good to keep a change and add other fruits like apples, oranges, grapes, mangoes, etc. But there are some fruits that they can’t eat because those fruits can cause some major health issues.

How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Kiwi?

Bearded dragons can eat kiwis once or maybe twice a month. As mentioned above, you can’t feed them kiwis too often as it can harm them. It provides much-needed nutrients, but overfeeding is not a choice as it causes health issues.

Feeding kiwi to your beardie frequently is not a good decision; it’s good if it’s served once a month, sometimes twice, but do not excide more than twice as it is for no good for your pet.

6 Benefits of Kiwi for Bearded Dragons

Kiwi is a highly nutritious fruit that can be beneficial to the health of your beardie in different ways; it can boost the health of your beardie; here are a few of them:

1: Vitamin C for Immune System

Vitamin C has many health benefits, one of which is that it helps strengthen our immune system. Fruits like oranges, strawberries, pineapples, and kiwi contain large amounts of vitamin c.

Kiwi contains a large amount of Vitamin C, which helps keep the immune system healthy. It works the same way in the case of bearded dragons as well; kiwi provides them with lots of vitamin c that helps them to fight against diseases.

2: Vitamin K for Blood Clotting

Vitamin K helps make 4 crucial proteins out of 13 proteins needed for blood clotting. Kiwi contains Vitamin K that, strengthens the bone and helps in the clotting of blood.

3: Antioxidants for Immunity and Digestion

Antioxidants are substances that help in digestion and help boost your immunity system. The antioxidants in Kiwi are suitable for the immune system, reduce inflammation, and help good digestion(it also contains fiber that aids digestion).

4: Zinc Helps With Healing

Zinc is an essential nutrient found in the entire body, as it governs the functioning of the cell and its growth, which helps build stronger immunity against diseases. It helps in healing the wound, and Kiwi contains zinc that helps recover from injuries in dragons.

5: Calcium for Bones 

To build and maintain strong bones, your body needs calcium. And for the heart and muscles, calcium is needed to make them function well. The calcium in kiwi can help to maintain the bones of your pet.

6: Potassium for the Heart

Adding potassium to the diet can reduce the threat of cardiovascular disorder.  Some of the common cardiovascular disorders are stroke, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Kiwi contains some potassium, and serving it to your pet can improve their heart health.

Sometimes, it’s not just about what’s inside it that is of great use but what it lacks. It has no fat content, so it won’t make your beardie overweight.

2 Risks of Feeding Kiwi to Bearded Dragons

Kiwi indeed offers a load of health benefits to your dragon, yet there are some risks involved when it comes to feeding kiwi to bearded dragons.

1: Oxalic Acid Hinders Calcium Absorption 

Kiwi contains a little oxalic acid, which restricts calcium from being absorbed properly.

Over time, an excess amount of oxalic acid causes metabolic bone disease.

If it was not about oxalic acid, beardies could eat kiwi once a week. It’s good that you know this thing now and would keep an eye while feeding your pet dragon.

2: Large Pieces can be Life Threatening

Feeding large pieces of kiwi can cause difficulty swallowing, leading to choking. So, feeding them small pieces makes it easier for them to swallow.

How to Prepare Kiwi for Your Bearded Dragons?

It’s quite a simple way of serving kiwi to your dragon. Following are the steps for creating a perfect meal for your beardie:

Prefer Fresh and Organic Kiwi

It’s better to have fruits when they are fresh, as fruits lose nutrients as time goes by. Organic fruits are grown without pesticides; instead, they are grown using natural fertilizers, making them a healthier option. It’s essential to make sure you choose fresh and organic kiwi for your beardie.

Choose Ripe Kiwi

The kiwi should be fully ripe. Ripen fruits are sweet and soft, so it’s better to choose ripe kiwi so your pets can enjoy their meal. Unripe fruits can cause stomach aches and some more digestive issues.

Remove the Pesticides by Washing 

Fruits you buy from the market are covered with chemicals and pesticides whether you see them or not. So it’s preferred to wash the fruits you buy and eat them only after that. Wash the kiwi you will serve to your pet; make sure to remove all the pesticides and chemicals while washing it.

Remove the Skin Completely But Not the Seed

Eating fruits with intact skin is a good choice as it increases fiber intake. But the case is not the same for your pets as it can be difficult for them to digest the skin, and it can lead to digestive problems. So make sure to peel off the kiwi before serving to your beardie.

Animals or even humans should not eat a few fruit seeds, but here in the kiwi, removing them is unnecessary as they are entirely safe for your beardie. So even if you feed them kiwis with the seed, it will come out as a whole and won’t affect their digestion.

Chop it into Small Pieces

After removing the skin from the kiwi, it’s time to chop them into small pieces. Chopping it into small pieces will make it easy to eat for your pet, and there will be no risk of choking, which generally happens if big pieces are served.

Conclusion

Kiwi is highly nutritious, contains many vitamins, and provides a wide range of benefits to everyone. One thing to note here about kiwi is that it contains no fat and a very low level of sugar, and with this quality, kiwi becomes an excellent food for bearded dragons. 

So, the answer to can bearded dragons eat kiwi is yes. Now that you know that Kiwi is completely safe for your bearded dragon, it’s your choice whether you want to serve it to your pet.

Make sure to serve it once or twice a month and keep your dragon healthy. Overfeeding any food item is not safe for your pet; here we talked about kiwi, which contains oxalic acid, and causes metabolic bone disease. So, feeding them kiwi is safe as long as it is served occasionally.

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