Can Bearded Dragons Eat Potatoes? 3 Benefits | Full Guide

Potatoes fit numerous recipes and are on many people’s lists of favorite foods, whether served as a platter of crispy fries or a bowl of creamy mashed potatoes. It is no surprise that potatoes are nourishing and adaptable. And if there is this surprising element in our diet, everyone with a pet would wonder if they can feed it to their pet or can bearded dragons eat potatoes.

And if you own a bearded dragon, you probably already know that they don’t have picky eating habits. Instead of having them turn down sweets you offer, you might need to stop them from eating stuff they aren’t allowed to. Because of this, verifying everything you feed your bearded dragon before giving it to them is crucial.

These fearless tiny reptiles will chew on almost anything in front of them since they frequently lack a sense of danger. Making a list of what beardies can and cannot eat is a fantastic idea but can bearded dragons eat potatoes is still a question everyone would want to know! 

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Potatoes?

Yes, they might be able to eat potatoes, but those aren’t the healthiest option. These are safe to eat on occasion. But they don’t provide enough vitamins or minerals to support your dragon’s growth and general health. However, they contain several nutrients that could benefit your bearded dragon. Despite being inexpensive, potatoes shouldn’t be a constant in people’s meals. Additionally, unlike other veggies, these shouldn’t be served raw to your dragons. Your bearded dragon is likely to experience stomach problems from eating raw potatoes.

How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Potatoes?

If you occasionally provide potatoes, perhaps once or twice a month, or less frequently, they are useful.

Because of how high in phosphorus potatoes are, bearded dragons should not consume them in excessive quantities. When phosphorus levels are too high, it tends to bind to calcium and prevent it from being absorbed. Therefore it is recommended to give potatoes to your bearded dragons on rare occasions.

Because of this, feeding bearded dragons high-phosphorus meals is typically discouraged, or you provide them less frequently in relatively small amounts.

Due to their poor calcium content, potatoes may not be an excellent addition to your beardie’s diet. Calcium is a crucial mineral for bearded dragons, and they require plenty of it for proper health.

3 Benefits of Potatoes for Bearded Dragons

1: Source of Hydration 

Water is good for bearded dragons; it keeps them hydrated and prevents health issues. Potatoes along with cucumber are high in water content. So, potatoes keep them hydrated. But when it comes to nutritional value, potatoes don’t have much, so it’s good to offer potatoes as a treat to your pet dragon.

2: Starch and Carbs Provide Energy

The primary components of potatoes—Starch and Carbs provide good energy sources to the bearded dragon. But it’s good to keep moderation as a key. 

3: Fiber Helps in Digestion 

Potatoes are a decent fiber supply for your bearded dragon, even though they are not high, and the fibers will aid the digestion process in your pet. On the other hand, giving your bearded dragon too many potatoes can induce discomfort and constipation due to the excessive fibers.

3 Risks of feeding potatoes to Bearded Dragons?

1: High in sugar which can cause obesity

Because of their high sugar content, potatoes should only be occasionally used as a side dish. Sugar doesn’t do much for you but gives you more energy, and such quantities may be complicated for your pet’s digestive system to process and digest, causing obesity. 

High sugar levels in your pet will cause dehydration and diarrhea in the near term. Unfortunately, your lizard companion may put on weight or harm their teeth.

2: High Phosphorus Content Leads to Metabolic Bone Disease(MBD)

Compared to the advised range of 1:1 to 2:1, the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in potatoes is about 1:5. While phosphorus is an essential element of a bearded dragon’s diet, issues arise when it exceeds the recommended calcium intake. Phosphorus inhibits calcium absorption, and it can even remove already present calcium. Metabolic bone disease is the consequence, which is exceedingly dangerous and challenging to cure.

3: Starch and carbohydrates

Like peas, potatoes have a high content of starch and carbohydrates, which are also sources of energy. However, it is not recommended to feed potatoes to your bearded dragon if your bearded dragon doesn’t have much physical activity.

How to Prepare Potatoes for Your Bearded Dragons?

Buy the Fresh Potatoes

If you have already made up your mind to feed potatoes, Make sure the potatoes you purchase are of high quality before feeding them to your dragon. Make sure they are healthy and strong enough. Even if potatoes don’t offer much in the way of nutrition, decaying potatoes could make matters worse.

Washing Prevent Infection

The potatoes should be carefully washed, especially since there’s a risk that some dirt particles may adhere to their skin. Moreover, this will eliminate any germs that might still be on the potato’s skin.

Boil and Mash the Potatoes 

Always boil potatoes and mash them. Never give your bearded dragon uncooked potatoes; you should only give them cooked potatoes that are no larger than the distance between their eyes.

Cut into Small Pieces

You should cut up the potatoes into small pieces and cook them; large pieces can cause choking. Be very particular about cooking the potatoes because raw potatoes do more harm than cooked potatoes. Small and cooked pieces are also easy to eat when they are soft.

Conclusion

Beardies should not eat potatoes. Although they might not hurt if consumed sometimes, they shouldn’t be your bearded dragon’s primary source of nutrition because they are deficient in certain essential elements.

Knowing that a beardie’s nutritional needs differ from those of people and other pets might be beneficial. They require fewer sweet foods to prevent tooth decay and obesity and more calcium than phosphorus from preventing disease.

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