Can bearded dragons eat cat food? The bearded dragon has exploded in popularity in recent years as more and more people discover how enjoyable they are to care for as pets. But did you know that when it comes to diet, bearded dragons have particular needs? To prevent health problems down the road, you need to understand what should go into their diet and what shouldn’t. One common mistake many first-time owners make is feeding their cat food or other human foods that aren’t good for them.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cat Food? Everything You Need to Know
As pet owners, we want to provide the best diet and care for our beloved lizards. But do you know if bearded dragons can eat cat food? Read on to learn more about the recommended diet of these reptiles and which foods they should never eat to thrive and stay healthy!
What do they eat in the wild?
A bearded dragon’s diet mainly consists of insects and plants. In captivity, their diet comprises crickets and other live feeder insects such as waxworms, greens like dandelion leaves, collard greens, and escarole. Some owners supplement their dragon’s diet with cat food.
Others have reported that fresh fruit can be a healthy part of their pet’s diet, as well as leafy vegetables. Your local garden center or pet store, which will have seasonal selections, is an excellent source for live feeders and plants. The key is to buy healthy foods while shopping so they’ll be fresh when serving them to your pet.
Should they be fed vegetables and fruit as well as crickets
A well-rounded diet is always essential for pets, especially for lizards. You can give your bearded dragon vegetables and fruit now and then, but know that their preferred source of nutrition will always be insects.
If you’re in a hurry to get them eating and don’t have access to live crickets, you can try giving them cat food. It’s not as nutritious as actual bugs are (and it could give them an upset stomach), but if your lizard seems hungry enough, he’ll probably eat it—especially if he doesn’t know any better!
How often should my dragon be fed?
Most owners find that their dragons will eat about once or twice daily. How much to feed them depends on your pet’s size and metabolism, but it’s usually a good idea to overfeed your dragon slightly; you can permanently remove uneaten food later.
Most experts recommend feeding bearded dragons four times per week. Bearded dragons tend to eat more in warmer weather and less in cooler months; as such, some owners suggest feeding just twice during winter. On days you don’t feed, keep your dragon active by providing hiding places and environmental enrichment with reptile toys like branches or rocks for climbing on.
Are there any foods that I should avoid feeding my dragon
Unfortunately, some foods should be avoided when feeding bearded dragons. Avoid feeding your pet dragon-cooked bones; these can cause internal damage and even be fatal. Also, avoid grapes, raisins, and chocolate, as these items can be toxic to your pet’s digestive system.
Finally, limit or prevent sunflower seeds because they are high in fat. The most important thing to remember is that animals that eat other animals need animal protein in their diet.
Why are bearded dragons eating cat food?
Bearded dragons can eat cat food, but there are some reasons why they shouldn’t. Cat food is formulated to meet a feline’s unique nutritional needs, and it’s dangerous to feed them to bearded dragons. However, if you’re determined to feed your bearded dragon a cat diet, here are some tips on doing so safely. We don’t recommend providing your bearded dragon cat food, but if you want to do it, follow these tips.
Will the bearded dragon die if it eats cat food?
A bearded dragon’s diet consists mainly of various greens, including dandelion greens, kale, collard greens, and bok choy. In addition to these leafy greens, a bearded dragon’s diet should also consist of small amounts of fruits and veggies like apples, carrots, and peas.
A bearded dragon also needs to eat crickets or other types of bugs as part of his diet; however, if you feed your pet cricket feeder insects, be sure to soak them in water for approximately 20 minutes before feeding them to the pet. This will allow you to remove any harmful chemicals from them before you provide them to your pet.
What to do if your bearded dragon is eating cat food
When bearded dragons eat cat food or dog food, they typically do so out of boredom and don’t enjoy it. Feeding them a cat or dog food regularly can cause nutrient deficiencies that lead to growth problems. Luckily, there are simple steps you can take to prevent your pet from being tempted by these foods in the first place and ensure he gets all of his essential nutrients. Read on for tips on keeping your bearded dragon safe and healthy.
12 Reasons Why Your Bearded Dragon Shouldn’t Eat Cat Food
If you have a cat and a bearded dragon, you might be tempted to think that the two would get along great and even have the opportunity to share food, right? That’s probably not the best idea if you care about your bearded dragon’s health.
Regarding what your bearded dragon should eat, cat food shouldn’t be an option! Here are 12 reasons why it’s better for your bearded dragon to stick with its regular reptile diet than it is to chow down on some cat food from time to time.
1) They Will Get Sick
As tempting as it is to feed your human pet food, don’t do it. The problem with providing bearded dragons cat food isn’t that they won’t like it – they will. The problem is that cats are carnivores and reptiles aren’t, so giving them cat food leads to nutritional imbalances and deficiencies.
Some of these nutrient problems can be fatal for your snake. Make sure your bearded dragon eats a good, high-quality diet from a trusted source, and get expert advice if you have any questions or concerns about nutrition for your pet.
2) Their Growth Rate Will Slow Down
Cats are carnivores, meaning they eat animals (not plants) and use meat-based proteins in their diet. This means that foods marketed as cat food contain more protein than bearded dragon food does. Because of its higher protein content, a cat’s body spends more energy digesting these foods than in bearded dragon diets.
And since dragons grow incredibly rapidly – increasing by up to 25% per month! – offering them too much protein can stunt their growth compared to their captive counterparts. Instead, stick with specialized lizard food meant for your pet; it should have all its nutritional needs without any unnecessary carbs or fillers.
3) Their Behavior Will Change
Different food items offer varying levels of nutrition for your bearded dragon. It’s essential to recognize that feeding your bearded dragon other food items may change its behavior and disposition. If you feed it cat food, for example, it might become more aggressive than usual, or its social activity may drop significantly. These types of behavioral changes are normal and harmless.
Still, they mean you should be careful while handling or interacting with your bearded dragon until it returns to standard behavior patterns. Keep in mind that if you frequently feed your pet unusual food items, it will slowly develop an abnormal eating pattern which can cause serious health problems later on down the road.
4) The Calcium in Cat Food Is Inadequate for Reptiles
If you’re a cat owner, then you know that your feline friend needs a lot of calcium in her diet to stay healthy. But while cats require much more calcium than humans, reptiles need far less—and all of it can be provided by what they eat in their natural habitat.
Bearded dragons are omnivores but don’t typically enjoy the same diet as your average house cat. That means there’s no reason to force them to consume foods they wouldn’t normally consume in nature. Many experts believe introducing new types of food into an animal’s diet can cause digestion problems and make them sick.
5) Cat Food Can Cause Pancreatitis in Reptiles
Reptiles and birds, including bearded dragons, cannot process protein as efficiently as mammals. That means that your bearded dragon’s body must work harder to metabolize protein into amino acids, which it can then use to build new proteins in its body.
The problem is that a diet high in animal proteins can cause stress on your lizard’s kidneys and cause inflammation or infection of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Both conditions will eventually be fatal if not treated by a vet. Like humans, a bearded dragon needs plenty of fruit and vegetables in his diet—the right amount of vitamins and minerals is essential for healthy growth and development.
Many people think that feeding their bearded dragon cat food isn’t a big deal, but it can be very harmful to your pet and lead to health problems over time. This guide will explain 12 reasons why your bearded dragon shouldn’t eat cat food, along with some ideas of other healthy food options you can provide to your pet instead.
6) Most cat foods have little to no nutritional value
Like people, cats need vitamins and minerals to grow, develop and stay healthy. However, some pet owners believe cat food is enough for their bearded dragon companion. While kibble may seem similar to cat food because of its shape and size, there are significant differences. For example, most cat foods contain zero nutritional value for bearded dragons.
This means if you serve your beardie cat food, it will be eating primarily kibble with no vitamins or minerals added in whatsoever. Some products have supplements added later in production (typically through mixing vitamins into dry food). Still, these can cause digestive issues in your pet if they aren’t mixed correctly—not to mention it’s cheaper to leave them out of the recipe altogether!
7) Some contain ingredients harmful to bearded dragons
While many pet owners want to feed their bearded dragons like a cat or dog, it’s essential to understand that cats and dogs can tolerate and benefit from things in their food that might be toxic for your beardie. If your pet eats some of these things regularly, it could lead to severe problems. For example, some dry cat foods contain high levels of magnesium which can lead to serious calcium deficiencies in your pet.
Also, many canned cat foods have large amounts of potassium which may cause heart problems and death if consumed by bearded dragons regularly. Cat food is high in protein: Cats are carnivores, so naturally, their diets are full of proteins from meat.
8) Some can be difficult for bearded dragons to digest
Many of these items are too big for a bearded dragon to digest, and your pet may experience intestinal blockages. This can be very dangerous for your bearded dragon as his body will try to get rid of it but not be able to, so he could die from internal bleeding. This is one reason you should never feed him hamster food, even if it’s small enough for him to swallow.
Other foods could give your bearded dragon metabolic bone disease (MBD). Though cat food is not known for providing bearded dragons MBD, your lizard needs proper nutrients to help his bones stay strong and healthy. If he gets sick from eating cat food, it won’t benefit him at all.
9) There’s an increased risk of urinary tract problems
Cat food is high in magnesium and calcium, which could potentially cause a urinary tract blockage. These minerals are necessary for cats but are not suitable for bearded dragons. Cat food can also have a higher protein content than bearded dragon food; it’s easy to go overboard with protein when feeding your cat! Too much protein is dangerous for bearded dragons, as it stresses their kidneys and makes them more susceptible to liver disease.
If you want to feed your cat some cat food, make sure it’s high-quality or organic; these foods have far fewer artificial chemicals than cheap brands from discount stores.
10) Some are just too high in protein for them
Most people don’t think about nutrients like vitamins and minerals when feeding their pets, but it’s essential. For example, cats are obligate carnivores, meaning their digestive systems can only handle animal proteins.
The protein in cat food comes from animal products such as meat and bones. Because of that, you need to ensure your cat is getting enough of what he needs by providing your cat getsity ingredients. But with wet cat food—especially if it’s cheap or off-brand—there isn’t nearly as much variety in animal protein sources.
11) Giving your bearded dragon wet cat food often leads to obesity.
Many pet owners believe that feeding their bearded drMany pet owners believe. These pet owners are under the assumption that they’re giving their lizards a high-quality source of nutrition, but in actuality, it’s detrimental to your bearded dragon’s health. Wet cat food is usually made with low-quality ingredients and loaded with unnecessary fats.
The excessive amount of fat can lead to obesity, which is problematic because your lizard will not be able to digest all of these extra calories. If you must feed your bearded dragon wet food, it’s best to avoid cat food and choose higher quality products instead, such as meat baby foods or even mice/rats if you catch them yourself!
12) Many wet cat foods don’t have the right kind of vitamins and minerals in them
Calcium and phosphorus, two of a bearded dragon’s most essential nutrients, are very high in cat food. These two substances build strong bones and teeth in cats. If your bearded dragon eats cat food often enough, it will probably end up with brittle bones and teeth.
Many people think it’s okay to feed their bearded dragon wet cat food because they can get those missing nutrients from eating bugs… but that is false.