Can Bearded Dragons Eat Zucchini Squash?

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can bearded dragons eat zucchini squash

 

Zucchini, also known as courgette is from the same plant family as cucumbers. It’s added to the diet in various ways such as raw salads, stir-fry, soup and so forth.

As a beardie owner you might be tempted to serve it to your pet and you can’t help but asked can bearded dragons eat zucchini squash?

The straight answer is Yes, bearded dragons can eat zuchinni squash, but don’t overdo it.

 

How often can Beardies eat zucchini?

No matter how delicious zucchini might be for you, you may want to think twice before offering it every day to your beardie.

Indeed, zucchini does not have enough calcium for the bearded dragon. As you may already know, calcium is crucial in the development of your pet, bones wise. It also helps them with overall health.

Furthermore, bearded dragons get most of their calcium from their diet, especially plants and vegetables. As you can understand, given that zuchinni is low in calcium it’s not a good idea to feed them regularly with this squash all the time.

It’s also worth mentioning that zuchinni has lots of phosphorus. Indeed, the calcium to phospherous ratio [1] is like 1:4.4! This says that zucchini is definitively not recommended a daily dish. The advised ratio is 1:1 or 2:1.

Finally, based on the above facts, your pet may be at risk of metabolic bone disease. Yes, since zucchini does not have enough calcium your beardie could develop some health issues if it eats too much of it.

See also  Can Bearded Dragons Eat Rose Petals?

Indeed, phosphorus will block the calcium’s absorption thus resulting in a metabolic bone disease in the long run.

Our recommendation is to offer zucchini at most once a month if possible. This will mitigate any bone disease risk.

 

What are the benefits of Feeding bearded dragons Zucchini Squash?

As previously stated don’t feed your pet with zucchini every day.

But if you do it once in a while, know that it has some benefits for your beardie.

Zucchini squash has a high-water content that hydrates your pet when they are suffering from dehydration.

 

It also contains many good nutrients for your pet’s overall health. Indeed, it has many vitamins such as A and C which help with vision and the immune system.

Further nutrients like thiamine, manganese aid with the nervous tissue and metabolism.

Additionally, zucchini squash contains many healthy antioxidants like beta-carotene, and ellagic acid. 

 

How do You feed Zucchini to your beardie?

Ensure that it is thoroughly washed and dried to remove all dirt, chemicals, and other contaminants that can be harmful.

Then, cut it into small pieces about one to two inches in length with a sharp knife or scissors.

 

 After cutting zucchini squash into small pieces, you can serve it to your pet in a shallow dish or bowl.

It should only take about fifteen minutes for your pet to consume all their vegetables since they are speedy eaters. 

To prevent any bacteria from growing on their skin while eating, remove all of the seeds because they can cause intestinal blockage if swallowed by mistake.

See also  Can Bearded Dragons Eat Yellow Peppers?

Summary

Bearded Dragons are omnivores; feed them zucchini squash once a month. You need to feed them a variety of other foods as well.

If your dragon doesn’t seem interested in eating vegetables at all, try experimenting with different types of food like insects, mealworms, crickets, until you find something he’ll enjoy.

It’s essential for their health that they have a balanced diet of fruit and vegetables every day.

Recommended reading: Can bearded dragons eat yellow squash?

 

Resources:

[1] Calcium to phosphorus ratio

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27612307/

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