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"Pet Bearded Dragon Care & Information (Pogona vitticeps)"

Bearded Dragon Supplementation

Bearded Dragon Supplementation

Bearded dragon supplementation is the addition of additional nutrients (Bearded dragon supplements) like amino acids, vitamins and minerals to a diet (which is, or is suspected to be deficient in these components) to improve the overall value of the diet. Supplementation is either done individually or in combination of Bearded dragon dusting and Bearded dragon gut loading.

Bearded dragon insects such as crickets, Dubia roaches and other feeder cockroaches should always be gut loaded with an appropriate mineral / vitamin supplement and should be dusted two to three times a week with a Bearded dragon calcium / vitamin D3 combination powder. Insect gut loading should take place at least 24 to 48 hours prior to feeding.

Mealworms, waxworms, superwotms and Phoenix worms should also be dusted with a powdered Bearded dragon calcium source prior to feeding. Crawling foodstuffs can be offered in a shallow escape proof dish containing powdered calcium to stimulate in intake of this mineral. Mealworms, waxworms, superworms and nestling mice are also a good source for fat and fatty acids.

Natural Bearded Dragon Supplements

Wild Bearded dragons adapted to eat a variety of food, which complement each other in the supply of the nutrients they need. Vertebrates and invertebrates, an important component in wild Bearded dragon food are also generally more balanced with regard to vitamins and minerals because they are also exposed to the same balanced wild vegetation.

This scenario is sometimes difficult to achieve in captivity due to the lack in availability of a combination of balanced foodstuffs and the lack of information with regard to the nutritional value of various popular foodstuffs. Live food items such as insects are also generally deprived of important nutrients due to the food they get to eat in farming situations.

Bearded Dragon Supplements

To make up for these natural deficiencies one needs to add suitable Bearded dragon supplements to keep captive dragons healthy and growing. Luckily Bearded dragons are omnivorous, meaning they get a lot more additional vitamins and minerals from their greens when compared to insectivorous-only lizards.

Bearded Dragon Calcium Supplements

The most important Bearded dragon supplement is by no doubt calcium, especially for growing and gravid lizards. Good quality Bearded dragon calcium supplementation include some form of vitamin D3. This supplement usually comes in a powdered form which can be sprinkled over the greens or it can be used to dust insects with. Calcium supplementation should be supplied three times a week for growing and gravid Bearded dragons and two times a week for adult males.

It is important to mention that multivitamin / multi-mineral supplementation is not enough for Bearded dragon calcium supplementation needs. When these supplementation are used, it must be used in addition to a good calcium supplement.

The Advanced Bearded Dragon Manual
For Basic & Advanced Bearded dragon care incl. Bearded dragon supplementation
beardeddragons.co.za