Ice cream is one of the most favorite snacks. People usually eat it during the summer. If you have a bearded dragon at home, you might also wonder whether your beardie can eat ice cream too.
It is true that bearded dragons can eat a variety of human foods. But not all human foods are safe for them. If you are a beginner, you need to be careful feeding your beardie with human foods.
So, can bearded dragons eat ice cream at all?
No. Unfortunately, bearded dragons should not eat or be fed ice cream. This is because ice cream is a dairy product that is not good for beardies’ digestive system. Feeding ice cream to bearded dragon may potentially cause health issues.
Ice cream is an example of human food that is not good for reptile especially bearded dragons. If you want to keep your beardy safe from digestive issues, avoid feeding ice cream.
To have a better understanding as to why ice cream is ruled out as food for beardies, let’s take a look at the table below.
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Table of Contents
Nutrition Facts of Ice Cream
Nutritional content per ½ cup of regular ice cream
| Name | Amount | Unit |
| Calories | 140 | |
| Total fat | 7 | g |
| Cholesterol | 30 | mg |
| Protein | 2 | g |
| Total carbs | 17 | g |
| Sugar | 14 | g |
As you can see, ice cream contains some nutrients that may or may not good for bearded dragons. Let’s talk a little bit about each of those constituents.
Calories
First of all, ice cream is a good source of calories. This means that it is a good source of energy. If you are physically active, you need food like this.
But the story of bearded dragons in captivity is different. Unlike in the wild, they do not need more energy sources because they don’t have physical activities.
The problem with eating too much calories without burning them is that they build up in the body as fat. If bearded dragons eat too much calorie-high foods without physical activities, they could become unhealthy due to the stored fat.
This condition is not good for bearded dragons. You need to regulate the calorie content in their diet.
Fat
Ice cream also contains fat. This is another thing to watch out for if you want to keep your beardie healthy. Along with calorie, fat can really speed up the process of making a bearded dragon unhealthy.
As someone who already lost a bearded dragon before due to wrong food intake, I would rather choose healthier foods. I suggest that you choose foods that have less fat for your beardies too.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is essential for the body to build healthy cells as long as it does not exceed the necessary amount. Too much cholesterol could lead to heart disease.
This is also true in bearded dragons. Ice cream contains cholesterol that may not good for beardies in the long run.
Protein
As you can see, ice cream has low protein content. Remember that beardies especially babies and juveniles need a good protein source. This means that feeding bearded dragons ice cream does not provide beardies with their protein needs.
Carbohydrate
Needless to say that carbohydrates are essential for the body as the main source of energy. But if it is not used in the body, it will then store as fat. Too much of it could potentially cause health issues.
The only thing that helps regulate fat is physical activity. The problem with bearded dragons in captivity is that they don’t have enough physical activities. As a result, if they eat foods high in carbohydrates, their body will not burn those constituents which will in turn cause health issues.
Sugar
Lastly, ice cream, is, of course, containing a lot of sugar. Sugar is good at its right amount. But in excessive amounts, it could cause several health issues. This is also true in beardies.
As a rule of thumb, beardies should not consume foods that are high in sugar. It is highly recommended to feed bearded dragons natural foods.
Best Foods for Bearded Dragons
There are many things to consider when choosing foods for bearded dragons. The most important one is the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. The ideal ratio is 2:1.
As long as possible, you only feed your beardies foods that have the right calcium and phosphorus content. There are many greens and veggies that have the right calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.
However, if you are a beginner, this can be a real challenge. But don’t worry. The purpose of this site and this post in particular is to give you a few suggestions on how and what to pick as foods for your reptile.
That said, I have included a list of safe foods you can offer to your bearded dragons. I hope the list will help you make a healthy decision for your pet.
Here are the best foods for bearded dragons:
- Alfalfa
- Cactus Pad/ Leaf
- Cactus Pear
- Collard Greens
- Dandelion Greens
- Endive
- Escarole
- Mustard Greens
- Phoenix Worms
- Silkworm
- Squash, Acorn
- Squash Butternut
- Squash Hubbard
- Squash Scallop
- Squash Spaghetti
- Squash Summer
- Turnip Greens
These foods are good parts of their staple diet. This means that you can mix three to four types of foods from this list to make a salad for your beardies.
Mixing several kinds of greens in a salad can make the salad more colorful and enticing for beardies to eat. This works well in picky bearded dragons.
Aside from the foods listed above, there are other greens, veggies, and fruits you can offer occasionally to your beardies. It just takes a little bit of research online.
But always remember that not all greens, veggies, and fruits are safe for bearded dragons. Make sure that you pick the right one to keep your reptiles safe and healthy.
Quick Note: Be careful when feeding fruits to bearded dragons. Most fruits are too watery for beardies. Watery foods could potentially cause diarrhea and other digestive issues in bearded dragons.
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bread? (You Should Know This)
Final Thoughts on Can Bearded Dragons Eat Ice Cream
Although ice cream is safe for us, it is not healthy for bearded dragons. In fact, all dairy products are not good for reptiles. This is because the digestive system of beardies can’t digest the dairy well.
I have already mentioned why ice cream is not good for beardies. But if you really want to feed your beardies ice cream, make sure that it is not more than a treat. A small amount on an occasional basis may not harm your beardie.
But as long as possible, I recommend that you choose healthy and safe foods for your reptiles instead.
I hope this helps. Thank you for reading.
