Can Bearded Dragons Eat Tomatoes? – Is it Safe or Not?

If you have a question about can bearded dragons eat tomatoes? Then this context is for you. Usually, tomato is a full nutritional fruit cum vegetable. It is full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help you, as well as your bearded dragon, to get some of these essential elements. But as good as its nutritional elements, there are some demerits or some of the components in tomato that can prove harmful for your bearded animal. So consumption of the tomato by the bearded animal is not considered poisonous, but consumption of the wrong type or more quantity can provide fetal to the bearded dragon. So this context is focused on the details of the nutritional values of tomatoes, dangerous components in tomatoes, and the method that you must use to feed tomatoes to your bearded animal.

Now let’s start with the details of feeding tomato to the bearded dragon.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Tomatoes?

As such, tomatoes are not harmful dietary substances or components if served in the desired quantity. But if the quantity, as well as the quality of tomatoes, is compromised, then you can see the health concerns in your bearded dragon. Tomato is a nutritious vegetable that you can serve along with some staple food or as a salad. But as such, you must avoid giving tomatoes daily to your bearded animals. Also, it would help if you prevented tomatoes from the daily diets of the bearded animal because the harmful substances present in them can prove fatal to the life of a bearded dragon.

But there is a proper method of feeding your bearded dragon with tomatoes, as the nutrition provided by it is also quite important. So the details regarding the feeding method of the tomatoes are provided in the context below. You can follow it, or you can also refer to the method explained by your vet for the same.

Which Components of Tomato Are Useful for the Bearded Dragon?

Tomato consists of many useful as well as harmful components in it. The useful components such as vitamins, minerals, and some elements can be beneficial for the health of the bearded dragon. So let’s check these components in detail;

Beta Carotene:

Beta karate is an essential component found in red-colored fruits. It is a precursor of vitamin A. The beta carotene gets converted into vitamin A, and it is useful for the eyes as well as the skin of the bearded dragon. It improves vision and keeps the skin healthy from various skin-related problems. So the inclusion of beta carotene is an essential element that serves important for your bearded animal. But excess of beta carotene can lead to toxicity of it. So you need to counter the quantity of serving tomatoes to the bearded dragon.

Antioxidants:

Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants, which are the main feature and essential components. The essential antioxidants found in tomatoes are Lycopersium esculentum, and they help boost the immunity of the bearded dragon. The anti-oxidants will help kill unnecessary pathogens as well as foreign invaders into the body of the bearded animal and will help keep it strong and healthy. So by serving tomato, there is no need to serve additional nutrition to the bearded dragon.

Vitamin B:

Tomato contains vitamin B, especially vitamin B9, i.e., thiamine. Thiamine helps keep the reproductive system of the bearded dragon healthy. It will also help the cell growth to its normal level and prevent any cancerous lesions in the bearded animal. It will also boost the memory and the brain functioning in your beardie. So providing tomatoes in sufficient quantity can provide better nutrition for your bearded animal.

VitaminC:

Vitamin C, called citric acid, is the largest component in tomatoes. The quantity is not as much as in the citrus fruits but is more than sufficient to provide the anti-oxidant and boost the immunity of the bearded dragon. Vitamin C prevents immunity-related infections in bearded animals and also keeps their health on top.

Vitamin K:

Vitamin K is an essential anti-clotting factor. So, heart-related problems can be tackled by the supplementation of tomatoes for bearded animals. Also, potassium is the most crucial precursor of vitamin K, and it regulates the blood sugar level of your bearded dragon preventing hyperglycemia in the animals.

Low Sugar:

The sugar content in the tomato is less than 10 % which serves to be one of the useful factors in the promotion of healthy GI regulation. More sugar content leads to diarrhea and dehydration-like conditions as it drains more water into the Gut. So less quantity can help your beard a lot in developing good health.

Low Oxalates:

Oxalates are harmful substances. They combine with calcium and lead to the excretion and poor absorption of calcium in bearded animals. Also, oxalates form crystals and then lead to oxalate stones and kidney stones in bearded dragons. So the low oxalate content in tomatoes makes them safer to consume and a healthier vegetable to provide along with a stable diet.

What Are the Harmful Effects of Tomatoes on Bearded Dragons?

There can be some serious conditions if the quantity of the tomatoes served to them exceeds the. So you can see these severe conditions in your bearded animals.

Poisoning:

If you are serving the bearded dragon the greeny tomatoes or the leaves or step part of the tomato plant, then there are more chances that the toxic substance, i.e., solanine, can hamper the health of the bearded animal. There can be poisoning symptoms observed in bearded dragons, and it can lead to the death of the animal.

Diarrhea: 

First, you need to understand that bearded dragons are desert animals and do not need a moist environment. Also, they can survive with less water consumption. More water can alter their metabolism and can happen their health. Due to the 95 % water content in tomatoes, they serve to be risky for the health of the bearded dragon. More water can lead to diarrhea and then can also lead to dehydration, like problems in bearded animals. So providing more tomatoes can lead to diarrhea and dehydration.can bearded dragons eat tomatoes.

Dehydration:

Dehydration is the next stage of diarrhea. The more fluid loss, the greater will be the chances that your bearded dragon can lead to dehydration. So to avoid it, you must serve the tomatoes in the diet at most the preferred quantity. Also if your beardie shows signs of dehydration, you must call up your vet and meanwhile provide the oral rehydration solution to the bearded animal.

Metabolic Bone disease:

The calcium-to-phosphorous ratio that is normally required by the body is 2:1. But here, it fails for tomatoes. The amount of phosphorous is double that of calcium, and it’s the opposite of what is required. This deficit leads to poor absorption of calcium from the Gut of the bearded dragon. And this leads to a decrease in the osteosclerosis process leading to weakness in the bones. So you can see the symptoms related to the same in your bearded dragon. So providing calcium supplementation along with the tomato in diet can fulfill the deficit of 

Vitamin A toxicity:

The level of beta carotene in tomatoes is too much that overconsumption of tomatoes can lead to the toxicity of vitamin A. The toxicity can lead to rashes and lethargy-type signs and symptoms of bearded dragons. So you need to restrict the quantity of consumption of tomatoes in the food of bearded dragons.

What Is the Proper Method of Feeding Bearded Dragons with Tomatoes?

Proper feeding method is also much important to keep your beardie healthy. So here is an appropriate method provided step-wise. Follow this method to feed your bearded dragon with tomatoes.

Quality of tomatoes to feed:

So following is the quality of tomatoes that you need to feed to your bearded dragon;

• First of all, you need to avoid unripe tomatoes or tomatoes which look green.
• Such tomatoes contain the component named solanine, which is poisonous to the health of the beardie.
• It is a glycoalkaloid poison found in the solanum family of vegetables such as tomatoes and potatoes.
• So it would help if you avoided green tomatoes as the component is mainly found in unripe tomatoes and in the tomato leaves too.
• Only feed the ripe tomatoes, and that too you need to remove the seeds of them.
• The seeds do not contain any essential component that is helpful for the beardie’s health.
• Avoid over riped tomatoes as they can also be harmful.

Quantity:

You must provide one-fourth, i.e., a quarter of the tomato if the tomato is large. Or you can also give 2 to 3 cherry tomatoes, i.e.; They are of small size. And this quantity of tomatoes must be given once a month. So you will only give a quarter of a tomato or 2 to 3 cherry tomatoes once a month to your bearded dragon.

Process:

Following is the process of giving a tomato to your bearded dragon;

• First of all, check for the quality of the tomato.
• Then you need to rinse the tomato in fresh water so that the pesticides present on it are washed off.
• After this, you need to cut the tomato into four pieces and then remove the seeds as well as the excess water present in the innermost part.
• Then cut a quarter of the tomato into small pieces such that it will be easier to enter the pieces into the birdies mouth.
• Also, make small pieces such that they can be easy to digest.
• Then serve the tomato along with salad, or you can give it along with the staple diet.
• You need to perform this once a month, as providing more quantity of tomatoes can be harmful.

Note: The hornworms present in the tomatoes are nutritious for the health of the bearded dragon. The hornworm consists of the proteins that will help your beardie to grow well and will also provide a protective factor against various infections.can bearded dragons eat tomatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

This is all about can bearded dragons eat tomatoes and its effects on the bearded dragon.