Have you ever considered feeding your bearded dragon cucumbers?
The diet of your bearded dragon is crucial to their overall health and happiness, and an important thing to keep in mind regarding their diet is the variety of foods you provide to them.
Several excellent foods feed to your bearded dragon, including fruits, vegetables, and insects, and the cucumber slices in your fridge may have come to mind as a bearded dragon owner.
What vitamins and minerals do cucumbers contain, and what health benefits are associated with feeding them to bearded dragons?
Table of Contents
Can A Bearded Dragon Eat Cucumber?
In short, yes, cucumbers are a fine addition to your bearded dragon’s diet, provided you have carefully peeled and washed them first, but they should only make an appearance in their feeding dish no more than once every two weeks or so. Cucumbers should be an occasional treat for your lizard rather than a staple food.
Bearded dragons require many fruit, vegetables, and insects to be happy and healthy, and cucumber should only be one small part of their overall diet.
Several factors keep in mind when introducing your bearded dragon to a new food, including the food’s vitamin content and nutritional value, the lizard’s personal preference, and the amount you feed them.
Although cucumbers are composed of around 96% water and lack a lot of the more vital nutrients such as calcium and vitamin A, more commonly seen in other fruits and vegetables, they are great for ensuring your lizard stays hydrated.
They also provide a small amount of vitamin C and vitamin K and potassium and magnesium.
There are many nutrient deficiencies bearded dragons are able to develop, so always be mindful of the nutrient content in any food item you give them.
Cucumbers are also high in fiber, which helps significantly with digestion and prevents impaction, a severe issue in which the lizard’s digestive tract becomes obstructed by a solid mass of food or substrate.
Bearded dragons are desert animals and don’t drink much water, so a small amount of cucumber given on an occasional basis is perfect for maintaining an adequate level of hydration and aiding in the process of digestion.
Cucumbers Are a Treat, Not a Staple Food
While cucumbers are full of water and fiber, they aren’t very high in any other vital nutrients bearded dragons need to thrive.
In addition, since bearded dragons are desert animals, they require a minimal amount of water in their diets, and too much cucumber will cause an upset stomach or even runny stools in some dragons.
When structuring a balanced diet, there are many safe fruits and vegetables to consider, such as dark, leafy greens and leafy vegetables like:
- Dandelion greens
- Turnip greens
- Mustard greens
- Swiss chard
- Butternut squash
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Blueberries
- Green beans
The list of vegetables appropriate for feeding goes on and on, and as mentioned earlier, a varied diet is critical.
Also, it is good to purchase calcium powder to sprinkle onto the fruit, vegetables, and insects you give to your bearded dragon to boost the ratio of calcium in their diet.
If your dragon lacks a calcium supplement, they become at risk of developing a calcium deficiency, which often progresses to metabolic bone disease, a painful and deadly condition even in otherwise healthy bearded dragons, causes a number of unpleasant health issues.
The most important thing to keep in mind is a cucumber is not a suitable staple food but rather an occasional treat.
Bearded dragons are typically not picky eaters, but they often have individual preferences for certain foods.
If your lizard has developed a taste for cucumber, feeding them a small amount on an occasional basis is more than enough.
Avoiding Impaction With Bearded Dragons
In order to prevent choking and impaction, always be sure to cut the cucumber into bite-size pieces smaller than the width between the lizard’s eyes.
Even though cucumbers are roughly 96% water, your bearded dragon could still struggle with eating and digesting them if they are not cut into small enough pieces prior to feeding.
Always monitor your bearded dragon while they eat to ensure a safe feeding session.
Dark, leafy greens will boost your lizard’s fiber intake and help the digestion process go smoothly but avoid lettuce, especially iceberg lettuce, as it consists of mostly water and lacks the vitamins present in dark, leafy greens.
While a high water content is essential to avoid a dehydrated dragon, too much water will cause runny stools and upset stomachs.
If you provide a bowl of fresh drinking water to your dragon at all times, you will be able to focus on giving them foods with a richer vitamin and nutrient content.
What Nutrients Do Cucumbers Have?
While cucumbers aren’t exactly stellar in terms of overall nutritional value compared to other vitamin-rich foods, they are an excellent source of some essential vitamins and minerals beneficial to your bearded dragon’s health when fed in moderation.
These notable vitamins and nutrients include:
- Vitamin C, which is excellent for your lizard’s vision health, immune system, stimulating growth and aiding in reproduction,
- Vitamin K regulates blood clotting,
- Magnesium aids brain health and muscle function,
- Potassium, which prevents kidney issues and promotes muscle health,
- Manganese, which helps regulate metabolism and prevents inflammation,
- And fiber, which is necessary for digestion, prevents impaction and even helps with occasional constipation.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cucumber Skins and Seeds?
Always avoid giving bearded dragons the skin and seeds of any cucumbers you intend to feed them.
Your dragon will not be able to chew through the peel, meaning they will swallow them whole, which could eventually lead to impaction.
Similarly, cucumber seeds should also be removed before feeding, as the seeds are just large and firm enough to be swallowed whole and potentially cause impaction.
As mentioned earlier, impaction is deadly, even in healthy bearded dragons, as a blocked digestive tract will prevent your dragon from being able to have regular bowel movements.
Final Thoughts
Cucumbers are not an appropriate staple food for bearded dragons, but a small amount of cucumber along with plenty of other safe foods will keep your dragon healthy and hydrated while supplementing their balanced diet with several vital vitamins and minerals.
Only give your dragon small, bite-sized pieces of cucumber, and never feed them cucumber peels or seeds.
Never leave bearded dragons unattended while feeding, and monitor their food intake closely.
While bearded dragons eat a variety of foods and aren’t finicky eaters, they often have individual preferences for certain foods, and many dragons enjoy cucumbers as a healthy snack.
