Is it necessary for bearded dragons to eat live crickets and worms?

Thanks for reaching out about Lexi. Mealworms are generally bags of fat, and needed to be gut loaded to provide any nutrition. But other insects must be offered to provide a healthy diet. Don't forget UVB radiation and the proper heat support. Bearded dragons also should eat a wide variety of vegetables. Good luck.

Make sure the crickets aren't too big. They should be no bigger than the space between Medusa's eyes. Confirm proper temperature as well. Reptiles need adequate warmth to digest food. Low temps will affect appetite and activity. She should be fed twice daily. Gut load prey for 24 hours prior to feeding. Dust with vitamins/minerals every other day. Vegetables can also be offered every other day.

If they were refrigerated, it may not cause any harm. The concern is them eating rotting prey. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite, loose droppings or regurgitation. You may end up taking them to your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles for exams and supportive care if they develop any of the symptoms mentioned above.

You can use a piece of fruit temporarily but that may attract fruit flies or other undesirable insects. Water can be provided using a very shallow bowl or a commercial insect gel. Be sure to "gut load" them with healthy foods and supplements for 24 hours prior to feeding Lucky Man. This will maximize nutritional value. Crickets can eat cereals, dry oatmeal, nuts ad seeds. If you feed fruit and vegetables, remove them frequently to prevent rotting.

Typically bearded dragons should be able to catch and eating moving crickets. It is possible that your bearded dragon was no hungry or if they are feet lots of treats sometimes they won't always eat crickets. I typically feed my bearded dragon crickets in his normal enclosure. I would recommend trying to just put the crickets into his normal home and see if he does better eating them. If he continues to not eat crickets I would recommend taking him to a vet to make sure he does not have an injury in his mouth like fungal or bacterial disease. I hope that helps

Feed him as many appropriately sized (no bigger than the space between his eyes) crickets or dubia roaches as he will eat in 10-15 minutes. Baby beardies are eating machines consuming as many as 80 crickets or more daily! Juveniles will eat more live pretty than vegetables. Offer about a tablespoon or two of finely chopped spring mix for him. Change it daily. You can also offer squash, peppers, asparagus, pumpkin and yams just to name a few other veggies. Avoid iceberg lettuce, celery and light colored greens. These offer little in the way of nutrition.

Hello there! When it comes to insects, I recommend feeding live insects that you gut loaded yourself with high quality cricket food and dust with a calcium supplement prior to feeding. That way you can be sure that your pet is getting the best nutrition possible. Buying dried crickets means you are unsure of how well they were cared for and may be less nutritious. I hope you find this helpful!