When it comes to listing out the harmless vegetables, we bet you’ll see the name of the cucumber on the top. After all, this one food can keep anyone hydrated and keep their bones healthy. But what about feeding them to bearded dragons? Can beardies too eat cucumbers?
Bearded dragons can eat cucumbers. Not only can they boost the beardie’s hydration, but also ease up its problem of constipation. But that doesn’t mean you’re free to feed cucumbers to them every day. That’s because the nutritional value cucumbers offer is not enough to keep your beardie healthy to the fullest.
If so, then how much should you put in the plate of your reptile, and how often? Well, that’s what you’re about to find out in a while.
7 Benefits Of Feeding Cucumbers To Bearded Dragons
No matter which vegetable you name, it brings in certain benefits, one way or another. Cucumbers are no exception. Even for bearded dragons, they come up with a pile of health benefits. And we’re sure that you wouldn’t like to miss those by any chance.
1. Hydration
As water makes about 96% of cucumbers, it’s a great way to keep your bearded dragon hydrated. Putting food like this in your reptile’s diet is too crucial, especially when your dragon is roaming dehydrated. And you know what comes next after dehydration. Yes, we’re talking about health issues like renal damage, constipation, and lethargy.
2. Fiber
One of the reasons why you should love cucumbers for your bearded dragons is the fiber that comes with them. After all, it keeps them from being constipated. The thing is, digestive issues, such as impaction, can be life-threatening if caused by a lack of fiber in the diet. So, feeding your reptile cucumbers can surely fix that up to a certain extent.
3. Vitamin C
In case you didn’t know, cucumbers are rich in vitamin C. This means they can help your lizard to maintain a strong immune system. On top of that, bearded dragons need this vitamin for proper eyesight, reproduction, and stable growth.
4. Vitamin K
Cucumbers also contain vitamin K, which is indeed an essential nutrient for reptiles like bearded dragons. Actually, blood clotting requires this vitamin, which is why it’s so crucial for mending wounds and stopping excessive bleeding when the reptile gets hurt.
5. Potassium
Cucumbers are filled with Potassium, which is vital for proper nerve and muscle function and renal health. Plus, it helps a ton in maintaining proper fluid balance in a reptile’s body. Missing something like that can backfire, as a lack of potassium in the diet can lead to a variety of health issues, including muscular weakness and cramps.
6. Manganese
Cucumbers are a good source of this mineral which doesn’t only aid in metabolism but also reduces inflammation. So, if you’re asking for something that will take care of the overall health and well-being of your bearded dragon, then we’d say you better try providing them with manganese. We guess you already know where to get that.
7. Magnesium
Last but not least, cucumbers come with tons of magnesium. It’s just too good for bearded dragons’ nervous systems and muscles. So, when it comes to finding a mineral that is important for nerve and muscle function regulation and for warding off health issues, don’t think twice before reaching for cucumbers.
Why Giving Cucumber To Bearded Dragons Daily Is A Bad Idea?
Before you become too impressed by the good sides of cucumbers and start feeding your reptile daily, let us tell you something first. It’s good but not good enough to be fed daily. Well, there are certain reasons that say cucumber isn’t exactly the ideal ‘daily’ food for beardies.
1. Lack Of Nutritional Value
What is the prime purpose of any food? Providing nutrients, right? But compared to other recommended foods for bearded dragons, cucumbers fall short in providing the necessary amounts of protein, calcium, and vitamins A & D. This means if you’d fill your Bearded dragon’s diet with cucumbers, there’s a high chance of them facing health issues and malnourishment.
2. High Water Content
As cucumbers are mostly filled with water, eating too many of them at once can lead a bearded dragon to diarrhea and eventually to dehydration. On top of that, a bearded dragon’s digestive system might become overloaded by consuming an excessive amount of cucumber. That way, they’ll be missing the essential nutrients in the first place, as there won’t be enough room for any other food.
3. Oxalates
Oxalates found in cucumbers can compete with calcium for absorption in the digestive tract. FYI, calcium shortage is a prevalent problem in bearded dragons, and feeding too much of the oxalates through cucumber can surely cause something like this.
4. Imbalanced Diet
Bearded dragons need a varied diet that includes both insects or protein and plant-based foods. Cucumbers are OK as a treat or snack for beardies on occasion. But they shouldn’t make up a significant portion of the reptile’s diet because they lack adequate essential nutrients.
What Should Be The Frequency Of Feeding Cucumber To Bearded Dragons?
In general, a beardie’s diet should consist of around 20-30% vegetables. But if you’re into getting your lizard a balanced diet, we say you better go for a wide range of vegetables. When it comes to cucumbers, it’s wiser to serve the reptile once or twice weekly as a snack or in a salad.
By the way, if you really want to feed your dragon cucumbers, you should break them up into little pieces so it doesn’t choke. You should also give them a good scrub to get rid of any pesticides or other potentially dangerous residues.
Is It Okay To Feed Cucumber Seeds And Skin To Bearded Dragons?
When it comes to feeding beardies cucumbers, we suggest removing the skin and seeds in the first place. Actually, chewing through the peel is not your dragon’s thing. On top of that, swallowing them whole is simply going to cause impaction, which we bet you don’t want.
And if you’re thinking about the seeds, cucumbers are simply another food whose seeds should be removed before feeding them to your dragon. That’s because they are big and solid enough to induce impaction if the reptile ingests it whole. After all, not even humans can digest those seeds.
Before We Go…..
You’re probably already thinking – cucumber is just another pale vegetable to feed my dragon. What if feed it with something sweet like apples? Well, if that’s what is spinning in your head, we can surely get you some idea on whether you should or shouldn’t try it. Check out our blog – Can Bearded Dragons Eat Apples? and you’d know what we were talking about.
