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Struggling to decide if your Bearded Dragon can eat Japanese Beetles? It’s important to understand the risks involved. Though they may seem like a tasty snack, these beetles are hard-shelled and difficult for your pet dragon to digest – eating them could lead directly to an impaction.
Table Of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Bearded dragons should not eat Japanese beetles due to the risk of impaction, weakened immune system, and weight loss.
- Japanese beetles have hard shells that can block the bearded dragon’s digestive tract and are difficult to digest.
- Providing alternative high-protein food sources like Phoenix worms or butterworms is recommended.
- A varied diet with fresh vegetables and occasional treats should be provided for optimal growth and development of bearded dragons.
What if My Bearded Dragon Eats a Japanese Beetle?
If your bearded dragon eats a Japanese beetle, they could be at risk of serious impactions that can weaken their immune system and cause weight loss. Bearded dragons can’t digest the hard shell of this pest, so they are unable to extract any nutrition from it.
The exoskeleton also poses a danger as it’s difficult for them to break down and can block their digestive tract, leading to severe complications.
It’s important that you ensure these insects do not make up part of your pet lizard’s diet in order to prevent potential health risks associated with eating beetles, such as Japanese ones. Insect-eating pets need high protein diets to keep them healthy. Therefore, providing alternative sources like Phoenix worms or butterworms is recommended instead.
These alternatives contain all the necessary nutrients without posing digestion issues or safety concerns related to insect shells or toxins found within certain species, such as blister beetles and ants.
A variety of nutritious food sources should be provided for optimal growth and development in bearded dragons.
What if My Bearded Dragon Ate a Japanese Beetle but Didn’t Pass It?
Even if your pet lizard has already eaten a Japanese beetle, the hard shell could still cause serious impactions. Can you take action to prevent this? Impaction risks are very real and can lead to nutrition loss and digestion issues.
Soft-bodied alternatives such as Phoenix worms or butterworms are much healthier animal sources of food for insect-eating lizards than beetles. Many pet stores carry these insects, which provide all the essential nutrients without any potential safety concerns related to their shells or toxins found in some species like blister beetles or ants.
Bearded dragons need a varied diet that is filled with fresh vegetables, calcium supplements such as Repashy Calcium Plus, waxworms, and calciworms as occasional treats. However, avocados should be avoided due to their high oxalic acid content. If they mistakenly eat something they shouldn’t have, it’s important to keep an eye out for signs of impaction – lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss – so you can act quickly before it leads them into more serious harm.
Providing safe foods will ensure your dragon lives happily ever after!
Conclusion
Your bearded dragon should never eat a Japanese beetle. These hard-shelled insects are difficult to break down and can cause serious impactions in your pet if ingested. If your dragon has eaten a beetle and hasn’t passed it, it’s important to take them to a vet right away.
- petfoodfuss.com
