big fat pads in bearded dragons<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAmount of Tomatoes to Feed Bearded Dragons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Bearded dragons require a diet that consists of insects, fruits, vegetables and live prey. While many people assume that bearded dragons can eat tomatoes, it is not recommended to feed them tomatoes as they are not natural foods for the animals. The amount of tomato you should offer your pet depends on his age or size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The best way to determine how much food an animal needs is by consulting with a veterinarian who specializes in reptiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A general rule would be one tablespoon per twice a week for smaller pets (less than six inches) while larger pets could consume up to two tablespoons of tomato twice a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Precautions When Feeding Beardies with Tomatoes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n If you’re considering adding tomatoes to the diet of your bearded dragon, take note of a few precautions. There are some parts of the tomato plant that are safe while others may not be safe for a bearded dragon to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are the important precautions to note:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Avoid canned tomatoes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The first precaution to note is that canned tomatoes should always be avoided. Canned tomatoes have a high level of sodium and other additives that may not be great for the bearded dragon’s diet. This makes canned tomato sauce, canned crushed tomatoes, and canned diced tomatoes off-limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to avoiding any canned product, you will need to avoid any tomato products that have spotty skin or are too ripe. The spots can indicate an issue where the fungus has developed before it was harvested which can lead to some serious health problems if eaten by your pet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Avoid tomato stems and leaves<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The tomato plant belongs to the nightshade family of plants. These plants are considered poisonous for bearded dragons. However, there are some exceptions: if you’re feeding your dragon tomato fruits, then they should be okay as these fruits are not toxic to bearded dragons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other nightshade plants you might want to be careful with when feeding bearded dragons include potatoes, bell pepper, eggplant, petunias, jalapenos, etc. Before feeding your bearded dragon on these plants or their parts, you want to consult a reptile veterinarian to avoid any side effects for your pet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oxalic acid in tomatoes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Bearded dragons can eat tomatoes, but oxalic acid in the fruit poses a problem. The oxalates bind to calcium making it difficult for the reptile to absorb dietary calcium. This can lead to calcium deficiency, which in turn can cause metabolic bone disease (MBD). Note that bearded dragons need calcium<\/a> supplementation to maintain good bone health.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis is why it’s important not to feed bearded dragons too much tomato. You should be aware of oxalate content because oxalates are also found in numerous other foods like broccoli, spinach, swiss chard, beet greens and carrots. It may be best to avoid these vegetables as well if MBD seems likely or has been diagnosed by your veterinarian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n There are many benefits that come with tomatoes in a bearded dragon diet. They’re rich in potassium which is essential for the proper functioning of all sorts of vital organs; they can help provide necessary vitamins A and C to beardies that may not be getting enough from their regular food source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tomatoes can also give dragons some much-needed variety so they don’t get bored or suffer vitamin deficiencies over time because they’re eating one type of fruit constantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep in mind that bearded dragons also do better when they eat less acidic foods so the sour taste that can be found in tomatoes can cause gastrointestinal corrosion that leads to digestive problems in beardies. Make sure to reduce keep the amount of tomatoes in the reptile’s diet to a minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nREAD NEXT: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Turnip Greens? Benefits & Risks <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bearded dragons are omnivores, meaning they can eat meat and plant material. The reptiles can eat quite a good number of vegetables and fruits but it is important to make sure they’re safe for the … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":570,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nCan Bearded Dragons Eat Tomatoes? Guide + Precautions | Being Reptiles<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n