Bearded Dragon Pellets?

[saiyan25]

This guy fed his beardie pellets and salads only, and the beardie is 17 years old!

http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=195273

Although I wouldn't do this for juveniles, you might be okay with adults. I think overfeeding bugs is worse than not feeding bugs at all (obesity, gout, renal failure, etc...). In the end, it's your call. You may want to consider crested geckos, which don't require heating, UVB, or feeding live insects.

 

[TheReptile838]

please do not get a beardie if ur not gonna feed it live food, mine will not touch pellets or a dead cricket if it doesnt move at all he wont eat it and alot of dragons are like this i just recently been getting him to eat veg but it needs to be on paper towel (white,green color)

your just going to take away a possible healthy life he my have with someone else

like someone else said phoenix worms stay in a tub and dont even crawl fast or at all i cant believe your mother would even consider getting you one knowing they eat live food and isnt going to allow it its still a living creature
[Inappropriate comment removed by moderator]

But I already found out about the nutrition that is right and other people use it as a staple

 

[TheReptile838]

Wow, thanks Saiyan! I had a look at that link and that was actually very helpful. I think I will go and get pellets and greens for it to eat. I will get an adult (Someone else also recommended this) as they eat more veg as they get older. I might get one of those vivicators to help him get interested in the pellets.

Thanks

 

[Yaaeee]

This guy fed his beardie pellets and salads only, and the beardie is 17 years old!

http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=195273

Although I wouldn't do this for juveniles, you might be okay with adults. I think overfeeding bugs is worse than not feeding bugs at all (obesity, gout, renal failure, etc...). In the end, it's your call. You may want to consider crested geckos, which don't require heating, UVB, or feeding live insects.

Note that HE DID feed his beardie bugs in his first few years. A bearded dragon 3+ years is something you need to be searching for.

 

[Taterbug]

If you are dead set on going this route, I suggest looking into some of the other commercial diets, such as the gels produced by repashy, or the other moist offerings.

 

[TheReptile838]

If you are dead set on going this route, I suggest looking into some of the other commercial diets, such as the gels produced by repashy, or the other moist offerings.

I found Beardie Bites and Dragon Yummies. I found different pellet foods too. I might get a variety of pelleted food so that my Bearded Dragon won't just be getting the same thing everyday

 

[TheReptile838]

UPDATE: Ok... Well, after all that, I will actually be able to feed insects now

 

[Horatiodragon]

Hello,

Although, I am not a seasoned owner of a bearded dragin (bd), I do know for a fact one of the many enjoyable parts of being a bd owner is feeding you bd a variety of the many wonderful foods it eats and watching it catch its live prey, chopping its salad and hand feeding it water making sure it drank enough.
They are rewarding pets but require work, attention and love. Please think it through very much. Just imagine if someone took away all your favorite foods and gave you a pellet and said it had all the vitamins and nutrition you needed. Would you be happy?

 

[TheReptile838]

I see what you mean, but I will be feeding insects now

 

[kbro]

I think some people were just plain rude in this post, I had to say something. I hope you got your dragon and are enjoying it

 

[TheReptile838]

I think some people were just plain rude in this post, I had to say something. I hope you got your dragon and are enjoying it

Haha, I will be getting my Beardie in August

 

[kbro]

Well good luck, I'm glad to see you are going to be very well prepared not enough people are so good for you for all your research. Your beardie will be one of the lucky ones. Pellets, or another alternative are a good thing for them to get used to, incase of an emergency or you can't get bugs for some reason or have to go out of town. If you need someone to feed while your away some people don't like bugs and then you will also know your dragon is still getting nutrients correctly.

 

[TheReptile838]

Thank you
I will add a couple if pellets to the collard greens and butternut squash and also feed locusts and super worms.
The Reptile shop that I'm getting my Beardie from said that they look after reptiles when you go away, they were actually looking after a bearded dragon today (I visited today)

 

[kbro]

Yeah, that's a good way to include some is in the salad. The shop I got mine from does that as well, he also sets up a "maternity ward" for females if you want to have him take care of them. It's great you have that shop, not many people have access to something like that.

 

[icelore]

But what if they say that the pellets are a complete diet because they are? They might not be lying?

Your position of "we feed pelleted food to other animals and they are fine, so it should be ok for beardies too" is a false logic. Unfortunately, if you actually look into animal nutrition, most of the "pellets" people feed dogs and cats are absolute crap - full of understandable corn, waste products, and sprayed with vitamins. On top of the fact that commercial nutrition for common pets isn't as great as you seem to think, reptiles and exotic animals suffer even more from inadequate nutrition in commercial diets. It's just not healthy for them long term, and no, doesn't provide all they need. There's not even one feeder insect that provides all they need, which is why a balanced diet is a must.

Another reason why live prey is important is because that is where bearded dragons get the majority of their moisture from. Feeding dehydrated or pelleted food increases the risk of impaction because it makes food harder to digest.

While I understand the reasoning behind your desire to feed pelleted food, at this point in time, if that is your only feeding option, I think it would be to the benefit of the health of the dragon for you to wait to get one until you can care for it properly. Parents are rough, and you have to follow their rules, but in the end, it's a case of "I want this animal" vs. "I know I can't provide the care this exotic animal needs to live the best life possible." It's a lesson in empathy and responsible decision making.