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Bearded Dragon Diet Nutritional Information

Germ

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There are a few discrepancies, but is one of the best that I have found & I trust it for the most part.
 

NaTasha Brinkley

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
155
What are the discrepancies, Germ? This is the list that I usually refer to if I'm unsure what to feed my dragon, just want to make sure everything is up to par.
 

Germ

Bearded Dragon Veteran
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Maybe discrepancies was not the best choice of words. Just little things, like Crickets are listed as an occasional feeder & not as a good Staple. Phoenix Worms are listed as a good staple solely on the fact that they have a decent Calcium to phosphorous ratio, without consideration that they contain less protein than a cricket, 150% the fat of a Cricket & they cannot be gutloaded to increase nutrition ... But as mentioned, all in all is a really good guide & is what I always recommend, use myself & have successfully for many years.
 

thorn

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
120
Maybe discrepancies was not the best choice of words. Just little things, like Crickets are listed as an occasional feeder & not as a good Staple. Phoenix Worms are listed as a good staple solely on the fact that they have a decent Calcium to phosphorous ratio, without consideration that they contain less protein than a cricket, 150% the fat of a Cricket & they cannot be gutloaded to increase nutrition ... But as mentioned, all in all is a really good guide & is what I always recommend, use myself & have successfully for many years.
Ya I was a bit confused by the cricket thing. Kinda made me wonder about everything else on there. But if you guys trust it then I guess I will trust it for the most part untill I can do more research on my own.
 

NaTasha Brinkley

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
155
I didn't notice that... but, I do feed Rocky solely crickets. I've given him phoenix worms a couple of times, but I don't want to make it a habit.
 

thorn

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
120
So I was reading the site linked above and it says that cal powder with D3 is useless because dragons get most if not all there D3 from light contact with there skin. Can any one confirm this?
 

Germ

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General feeding/supplementation schedule:
For hatchlings and young juveniles (up to 2 months): Fresh greens/veg. 1-2 times daily - Live prey 2-3 times per day
Dusted: All Live Prey five days per week with phosphorus free calcium – one day per week calcium with D3 - One day per week with a vitamin supplement such as Reptivite or Herptivite.

For juveniles and sub-adults (2 months to sexual maturity): Fresh greens/veg 1-2 times daily - Live prey 1-2 times per day
Dusted: All Live Prey five days per week with phosphorus free calcium – One day per week with calcium with D3 - One day per week with a vitamin supplement such as Reptivite or Herptivite.

For adults (generally 1+ year): Fresh greens/veg 1- 2 times daily - Live prey every 2-3 days.
Dusted: Live Prey every other feeding with phosphorus free calcium - Twice per month with calcium with D3 - One day per week with a vitamin supplement such as Reptivite or Herptivite.

As there are different circumstances that may arise, this schedule is recommended only as a general guide and may be altered to accommodate individual situations. Using a tracking method of when you dust prevents unnecessary use of product and more importantly, potential harm to your dragon! With proper and effective UVB lighting, supplementation with vitamin D3 is not imperative but should be provided in small amounts. Excessive levels of oral vitamin D3 can potentially lead to the excessive absorption and utilization of calcium and/or toxicity as can the excessive use of supplements containing high levels of vitamin A. Over use of any supplement can have the potential to cause serious health problems, stick to an appropriate supplementation schedule.
Amendment to Supplementation: Here is an article providing a good explanation to give an understanding on the Calcium to Phosphorous & Fat to Protien ratio ...
The main points to look out for are the fat content and the Ca: P ratio.​
Ca: P Ratio and Reptiles
Many have heard about the Ca/P ratio but not many understand what it means to your reptiles. The Ca: P ratio is simply the ratio of Calcium compared to Phosphorus and so a Ca: P ratio of 1 (one or 1:1) would mean that Calcium & Phosphorus are found in equal quantities, a Ca: P ratio of 0.5 (half or 0.5:1) means that there is half the amount of Calcium than there is Phosphorus. An ideal Ca: P ratio would be around 2 (two or 2:1) as this will allow calcium to be easily absorbed.
So why is this important? It has to do with the way Calcium is absorbed by your reptile's intestine. For any calcium to be absorbed, there needs to be at least equal quantities of Calcium and Phosphorus in their food. If the Phosphorus is much higher, then not only will it prevent calcium being absorbed, but may even leach calcium that is already present in your reptile's body. This can lead to serious problems such as MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease). When Calcium and Phosphorus are dissolved in equal quantities, it forms an insoluble salt (Calcium Phosphate) which is very difficult to absorb by your reptile's intestine. If there is a large amount of phosphorus compared to the calcium, then all the calcium will be bound by the phosphorus and none will be available for your reptile. If there is a large excess of calcium, then no phosphorus can be absorbed, which is also a vital mineral but not needed in as large a quantity as calcium. Ideally the Ca/P ratio for most vertebrates is around 2 (also written as 2:1).
Fat vs Protein
Another thing to look out for is the amount of fat compared to protein. Fat contains twice as many calories as protein, but doesn't provide any of the nutritional benefits that are gained from proteins from their amino acids which are essential for the health of any living creature. The calories from fat are often called "empty calories" in dietary terminology. Most insectivorous reptiles will receive greater benefit from a high protein/low fat diet.
 

LittleMerlin

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
Messages
213
I've used this one and one other list that I found, and I have to say, neither my beardie or geckos liked the Phoenix worms. Which is a good thing, they're expensive! But I am surprised by some of the stuff I see here, makes me think I just need to try other stuff other than turnip greens and squash. I didn't think they could have Strawberries and Yams. I heard about Watermelon but was never sure 'cause of the sugar contents in it. Maybe I'll give it a go, the lady at the vet that helped hold Jethro while the vet looked at him said her bearded dragon loves watermelon, and will go nuts for it if it sees it.
 

Noella

Bearded Dragon Veteran
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Georgia
Allie loves watermelon, too. I had some in the fridge and she went crazy for it. I went to give her some in her noon feeding with her salad only to discover it slimy and bad! :( I just bought it too!
 
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