Pellets: Are they a complete diet?

[abbyxelizabeth]

When it comes to food and nutrition, I've always said, variety is key. This is in regards to anybody's diet, animal or human. So, I've heard that those fortified bearded dragon pellets are a complete diet, as in, it's not necessary to have anything else; but you can add greens and bugs as treats. Is it a complete diet? Would a bearded dragon be okay if it only ate pellets? (And I know beardies hardly ever eat those pellets.) Just curious!

 

[Taterbug]

I'm not sure they are "complete" like they claim, there aren't any nutritional standards to achieve.

I personally wouldn't do it, For a couple reasons. First, I don't trust the companies offering them, they are same ones selling calci sand and coil UVB bulbs.
Second, they are dry (there are moist options now too though). I'm sure they aren't terrible, and lots of keeper and breeders use them in their diets, but a good variety of bugs and veggies is way better.

 

[abbyxelizabeth]

"There aren't any nutritional standards to achieve." Meaning?

 

[Taterbug]

Sorry, that was a little vague, there are "standards" but they don't seem to be very through when it comes to reptiles.
For humans, many domestic animals and particularly for very well studied animals like rats and mice there are standards of what amounts of what nutrients are needed for growth and health. This is what I would consider a truly accurate measure of "completeness".
Reptiles aren't as well studied so there isn't such a defined set of standards to qualify against.
It's for that reason, such a product to claim be "nutritionally complete" or "complete diet" is potentially misleading to me. In addition the rules are quirky for pet food, and there are ways to make inaccurate claims on the packaging.

That said, achieving the same rough content (proteins, fat, fiber etc) as what's in a healthy "diet" of plants and bugs should be possible and maybe these products offer that. It's likely they are superior to a bad diet if unhealthy bugs and poor veggie choices. I have nothing against packaged foods, I just don't trust them yet. It is much more likely that something important becomes deficient if we only rely on a limited range of food sources.

 

[Soulwind]

In addition to all that said above, which I also agree with,
those pellets are chock full of dyes.

Dragons who are fed a primary diet of those pellets have
bright green, bright red, etc poo.

And the dyes also easily stain their skin if they walk through
the poo.

I know a couple of dragons who were raised on nothing but
the pellets and some fresh veggies and they all have big
stained spots on their feet, belly, and tails from contact with
dyed poo.

 

[abbyxelizabeth]

This is great information guys, thank you! I will offer it occasionally but just to add variety, and to make the other foods I have last longer. You all really answered my question.