Can Bearded Dragons Eat Dead Crickets?
Bearded dragons require a balanced diet consisting of protein, vegetables and insects - such as insects given daily as treats - including both live bugs and dead ones.
Dead crickets may contain bacteria from decomposition that can wreak havoc with your reptile's digestion. Furthermore, cannibalism may occur when larger crickets consume smaller ones.
When providing dead crickets as protein sources for your pet, always remember to gut-load them first to ensure they contain essential vitamins and nutrients that they require. https://beardeddragon.cyou/
Dried crickets
Beardie owners may be encouraged to give their pet dried crickets as an alternative source of nutrition, however these freeze-dried crickets cannot replace live insects as they lack many of the necessary minerals that reptiles need for proper growth and health. Furthermore, their inability to retain moisture means that by the time these crickets are eaten they are devoid of both water and nutrients - leaving your Beardie vulnerable against illness!
Bearded dragons should be fed crickets that correspond to their body size; otherwise they risk impaction and death. After each feeding session is over, any uneaten crickets should be removed from the enclosure immediately.
Bearded dragons should avoid eating crickets that have been killed and preserved (canned, dried or frozen) since this can expose them to bacteria from decomposition which could make them sick. Instead it is best to feed fresh live insects regularly for optimal health in their diet.
Gut-loaded crickets
Live crickets provide your beardie with an easy and affordable source of protein. When buying them from a reliable supplier that has a solid track record with animal health issues, make sure they provide complete details such as species information and production method in order to protect his/her wellbeing and ensure no illnesses result from eating contaminated insects.
Gut-loading crickets is an effective way of increasing their nutritional value for beardies, providing extra vitamins and minerals from leafy greens and vegetables to give these insects extra nourishment they can pass onto their beardie host.
Feed your beardie live crickets that have been gut-loaded with powdered calcium sources instead, as these may contain parasites that could make them sick or even kill them.
Sneakily hiding crickets in veggies
Bearded dragon owners commonly feed crickets to their pets due to being readily available, affordable and an excellent source of protein. Unfortunately, crickets also contain excessive moisture and low calcium levels; thus making them unsuitable as the sole source of nutrition for bearded dragons. Incorporating other proteins like mealworms waxworms or superworms could provide more nutrition.
Feed your beardie a variety of greens to maintain a balanced diet and prevent metabolic bone disease. Feed two or three times each day for no longer than 10 minutes to ensure their wellbeing.
Hide freeze dried crickets in your pet's vegetables so they'll eat them without even knowing! Your pet won't know they're getting additional nutrition this way.
Live crickets
Bearded dragons can consume live crickets as part of their diet, although before feeding them it's essential that their digestive tract be flushed to ensure your pet receives all the essential vitamins and nutrients.
Baby beardies should be fed live insects at least twice per day and each time, as many crickets as they can consume in 10-15 minutes should be provided in each feeding session to promote optimal growth and health. This will enable their proper development.
As your reptile matures, gradually reduce the number of crickets fed each day while increasing greens consumption to help transition them towards a diet consisting primarily of vegetables and other sources of protein.
Your bearded dragon should also receive mealworms and super worms as alternative food sources, since these species contain lower fat and twice the calcium found in crickets - this may provide another good option to consider for feeding his or her reptile. Please visit here https://beardeddragon.cyou/ for more information.
