Yes, bearded dragon can eat mango. It is a good source of vitamins A, C, E, and K. There are plenty of benefits to giving your bearded dragon mango, but it needs to be part of a balanced diet. Overdoing the mango can be bad for them.
Bearded dragons can eat their way through vegetables and live food, but sometimes you may want to give them a little extra treat.
Whether you like to eat them alone or put them in a shake, mangoes are a delicious source of vitamins. However, many bearded dragon owners wonder whether it is okay to give their bearded dragons mangoes.
This article will talk more about mangoes and how they fit into your bearded dragon’s diet. Let’s get started!
Nutritional Value Of Mango
| Water | 83.5g |
| Energy | 60 kcal |
| Total Fat | 0.4g |
| Protein | 0.8g |
| Fiber | 1.6g |
| Sugar | 13.6g |
| Calcium | 11 mg |
| Phosphorus | 14 mg |
| Potassium | 168 mg |
| Vitamin A: 54 | 54 g |
| Vitamin C | 36.4 mg |
| Sodium | 1 mg |
Mango also contains other nutrients such as zinc, copper, and selenium. It has high amounts of beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin, cryptoxanthin, vitamin K and E, and some fatty acids.
What Are the Benefits of Giving Your Bearded Dragon Mango?
The main benefits of giving your bearded dragon mango are that they will enjoy the treat, and it has nutrients that are beneficial to your bearded dragon. In moderation, mangoes provide plenty of benefits to your bearded dragon.
Your bearded dragon can benefit from mangoes as a treat. For example, they are a great source of vitamins A and C which helps and support a healthy immune system.
They are also rich in vitamin E, which repairs damaged cells in your bearded dragon. And they contain Vitamin K, which helps keep their blood healthy.
Mangoes are also an excellent source of potassium which allows your bearded dragon to maintain proper water retention. So, there are plenty of vitamins and nutrients that are great for your bearded dragon.
Besides the health benefits, your bearded dragon will also love the nice treat of getting something like a mango with sweet taste.
Remember that it is important to limit the number of mangoes in your bearded dragons diet. Let’s talk about why that’s important.
What Are the Risks of Giving Your Bearded Dragon Mango?
The risk of giving your bearded dragon mango is that you can easily overdo it. Giving your bearded dragon too much mango can put them at risk of health concerns because of the high amount of sugar and low amount of calcium.
While your bearded dragon can have mangoes, I don’t advise giving them one more than a few times a week. Too much of a good thing, in this case, is not a good thing. Let’s talk about why.
Sugar
First, it is important to know that mangoes are high in sugar. Bearded dragons can have sugar in small doses, but making mangoes a daily part of your beardie’s diet is a bad idea. Giving your bearded dragon too much sugar can result in health issues, especially if it is a repeated action.
This can also cause tooth decay. Unfortunately, bearded dragons can develop dental issues fairly easily.
If your pet bearded dragon develops tooth decay, they will need consistent oral exams. They may also need you to constantly clean their teeth if they develop dental issues.
So, prevent this from happening by monitoring the amount of sugar they consume.
Too much sugar in their diet can also put them at risk for liver disease and heart failure. Too many mangoes can also put your bearded dragon at risk for obesity.
Obesity is a huge health risk for bearded dragons because they probably aren’t getting much exercise, and overfeeding can easily cause obesity.
Calcium
While it is true that mangoes do have calcium, the amount present in mangoes is not enough to maintain the health of a bearded dragon.
Bearded dragons require a high amount of calcium in their diet. Unfortunately, mangoes just don’t cut it when it comes to your bearded dragon’s calcium requirement.
So, while it is fine to give your bearded dragon some mango every now and then, it should not be a daily part of their diet because it doesn’t have the calcium they need.
Always ensure they are getting plenty of calcium from their other food sources and only give them mangoes one to two times a week.
Vitamin A
As discussed above, one of the benefits of mangoes is that they are high in vitamin A. While this remains true, it is important to know that this may become an issue for any bearded dragons who take Vitamin A supplements.
Vitamin A Supplements are common for bearded dragons. So, if your bearded dragon takes them, avoid feeding them mangoes.
Too much vitamin A can be a bad thing, especially with supplements. Adding mangoes to your bearded dragon’s diet while they are already taking a Vitamin A supplement can cause an overdose.
If not avoided, this can cause swelling, dehydration, and weight loss in your bearded dragon.
How To Safely Feed Your Bearded Dragon Mango?
Although it’s pretty easy to cut up, peel, or slice mangoes for human consumption, you should pay extra attention when feeding mango to your bearded dragon. Here are some things you need to know:
1. Do Not Feed Your Bearded Dragons Mango Peels
Always rinse your mango before cutting it up, and never give your bearded dragon the skin of the mango. Mango peels are full of nutrients that are great for both humans and bearded dragons. So, it may seem like a great idea to give your pet some of the peel. But I do not recommend this.
Mango peels can be difficult for bearded dragons to safely eat and digest. So, always remove the peel before giving them mango.
Before removing the mango peel, make sure you wash the mango thoroughly to ensure that you remove any harmful chemicals.
For this reason, some people choose to give their bearded dragon organic mangoes, but that is not necessary to maintain their good health. Whether the mango fruits is organic or not, be sure to wash it before peeling.
2. Serve Only Ripe Mango to Your Bearded Dragon
To ensure they reap the most possible benefits from eating mango, make sure you give your bearded dragon ripe mangoes. This ensures that the mango has all the antioxidants it needs to help strengthen its digestion.
Once you ensure that your mango is ready, always cut up your mango into small pieces before letting your bearded dragons eating mango.
3. Slice the Mango Into Small Pieces
Be sure to cut up the mango into small pieces to prevent your bearded dragon from choking on larger pieces.
They will definitely enjoy this treat, but like with any other fruits or vegetable you feed your pet, thickly cut food can be a choking hazard.
What Other Fruits Can a Bearded Dragon Eat?
You can give your bearded dragon apples, pears, bananas, peaches, grapes, and starfruit. These fruits are safe for your pet, but you should only give them in moderation, just like mangoes.
Giving your bearded dragon fruit can be a great way to give them a tasty snack without risking their health.
However, the rules for fruit are the same as we discussed above for mangoes. Because fruits tend to be high in sugar, make sure you only give your pet fruit in moderation.
You can give fruits as a single treat or mix them with vegetables to ensure a balanced diet. Fruit should only account for 10-20% of a bearded dragon’s diet.
This will ensure that your pet gets all the nutrients they need without risking too much sugar in their diet. So, keep that number in mind when giving them fruit of any kind.
Final Thoughts – Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mango?
Yes, bearded dragon can safely eat mango as long as you do it in moderation. They will love the sweet treat. So, make sure that you only give it to them as an occasional treat to keep them as healthy as possible.
Also, be sure to slice the mangoes into small pieces and remove the mango skin before letting your bearded dragon eat mangoes to avoid health risks.
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