No it’s not recommended to feed your bearded dragon with pumpkin puree. Pumpkin in its raw form is healthy, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
So if you are thinking about feeding your beardie with pumpkin, you should stick to the pumpkin gut, leaves and flowers.
Indeed, pumpkin is safe for bearded dragons but not in all forms. The seeds, stem and rind for instance can have a significant impact on the health of your pet.
Whereas pumpkin gut is known to be efficient for deworming beardies. However, you should feed your pet moderately so as to not cause any health issues.
Pumpkin Nutritional Value per 100g
The following table shows the nutritional content of 100g of raw pumpkin. It turns out that more than 90% is water [1].
| Pumpkin Nutrients | Amount |
|---|---|
| Water | 91.6% |
| Sugar | 2.76 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Fiber | 0.5 g |
| Phosphorus | 44 mg |
| Calcium | 21 mg |
| Vitamin C | 9 mg |
| Vitamin A | 426 µg |
Based on this table, the calcium to phosphorus ratio (Ca:P) indicates that pumpkins can’t be used frequently as food for your bearded dragon. We have a Ca:P ratio of 1:2.
A level of phosphorus that high (44 mg) can block the absorption of calcium (21 mg) which is essential in the development of bones.
On the other end, the high level of water content and fiber is beneficial for your beardie. Indeed, bearded dragons hydrate through their food therefore it’s important that they get food with lots of water. Furthermore, high fibre nutrients help with bowel movements which is also required for a healthy diet.
How can Beardies eat pumpkin?
First, wash the pumpkin thoroughly
after removing the seeds, peel and cut the pumpkin into tiny pieces
Mix these pieces with leafy plants or vegetables
We recommend giving your beardies raw pumpkin only whenever possible.
You could feed them with puree if your goal is to treat constipation.
In such a case, you need to put some water into the puree for a daily dose until symptoms are alleviated.
Recommended reading: Can bearded dragons eat zucchini squash?
Can Beardies eat canned pumpkin?
Yes you can feed bearded dragons with canned pumpkin to help with impaction.
Impaction is a condition where beardies can’t pass bowel movements fully.
We recommend diluting the canned pumpkin with water when used to help your pet pass something.
Summary
Pumpkin as a food has mixed nutritional value for bearded dragons. Indeed, the leaves for instance are good for beardies. But other parts such as the seeds, rind and stem are not safe for your pets.
We don’t recommend feeding your beardie with pumpkin puree. If you need to treat occasional constipation then adding water to the puree is a suitable option. This should be administered moderately.
Do you know that Bearded Dragons can eat italian parsley to some extent?
My name is Brad and I am the main editor of BeardieZilla.com.
The only goal of this site is quite simply to be able to help you. To help you by the means of my experiment, of the relation which I maintain with my bearded dragon as well as some of my knowledge about beardies.
I hope that you will find answers to some of your most pressing questions here.
Thank you for stopping by and enjoy the blog!
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