The nutrient requirement of reptiles, especially for bearded dragons, is a complex subject because, in the wild environment, they naturally depend on invertebrates and plants.
While domesticated beardies are provided with a wide range of foods, but they are not entirely safe over time.
Hence, we feed them moderately or sparingly to avoid the risks of anti-nutrients.
But can bearded dragon eat shrimps? Yes, bearded dragons can eat shrimps, but it is not advisable to feed your beardy with shrimps due to potential health issues.
Why Shrimps aren’t Necessary for your Beardy
The fact that you are domesticating bearded dragon does not mean whatever you can eat is okay for their health.
Yes, they can eat shrimp, but it is not necessary to include shrimp in their diet. Bearded dragons are omnivorous because of their natural environment that allows them to feed on plants and insects.
But can you find shrimps on the land? No, incredibly unlikely to ever come across or eat shrimp.
Therefore, it is obvious you necessarily don’t need to include shrimps in their diet. Secondly, when they ingest shrimps, they cannot be digested properly, resulting in impaction and stomach discomfort.
Reasons why feeding your bearded dragon Shrimps is not a good idea
Shrimps are saltwater fish, and it is packed with lots of fatty acids, Vitamin B12, iodine, and cholesterol.
These nutrients may seem vital for humans, but they are not safe over time for beardy’s health.
Since bearded dragons do not get enough exercise as they would in the wild, when they consume shrimps, the cholesterol and fatty acids will not be utilized, predisposing them to liver disease, obesity, diabetes, and heart failure.
Secondly, the high amount of iodine can also reduce the thyroid’s ability to produce the vital hormone the beardy’s body needs to function normally.
Lastly, if your beardy eats raw shrimps, it is at risk of getting parasites or another illness because they contain parasites, bacteria, herbicides, and other chemicals.
Is there any meat safe for my Bearded Dragon?
Apart from live feeder insects and pinky mice without fur, all the meat humans can consume regularly is not safe for your beardy.
Meat contains too much phosphorus than calcium which makes them unfit for beardy to consume.
Since Bearded dragons highly depend on Vitamin D3 and Calcium giving them meat will serve no purpose to their health because phosphorus will interfere with calcium absorption resulting in Metabolic Bone Disease.
Besides phosphorus and excess mineral levels, meat products also contain additives that may not be good for them. Meat products include; any seasoned or smoked meats, like ham, bacon, or sausage.
Check out if your beardie can eat poultry type of meat such as cooked chicken in our detailed article here.
Summary
We hope this article has brought some insight on why shrimps and meat are not safe for your beardy.
Just stick to live feeder insects because they are the best possible protein option for your bearded dragon.
Furthermore, avoid dairy products because bearded dragons also do not have the enzymes in their digestive systems to process foods made from milk.
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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