Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do you guys feed your beardie with pellets?
Is it a good choice and is it easily tame to eat pellets?
What do you think? How long will eack packet last?
Thanks

Pellets are a good addition to a dragon's normal diet. In the past I had little luck in getting my dragon to eat them. They did make good cricket food though so the big jar I bought on sale didn't go completely to waste.

Most people here that feed pellets usually feed them as a topping to a regular salad. Some dragons will eat it without hesitation, others won't eat it even if starving. One thing I recommend when feeding pellets is ensure your dragon gets plenty of water or at least, soak the pellets in water or unsweetened juice (ie apple, mango, peach, pear, anything that isn't 'citrus fruit based). The brightly colored pellets seem to appeal to dragons more than the brownish plain looking ones, however expect strange colored poops (ie green, red etc) as the dyes in these pellets pass through.

It is a good ideal to get dragons on pellets just in case you have to go somewhere for a few days and don't have anybody to come in and feed your dragons. Leaving pellets in the cage will ensure your dragon has something to eat. However, dragons should never be left alone for more than 48 hours without having somebody check in on them. Babies up to 6 months old should not go more than a day without food, 6 months and older are find for a day without food. Adults can be left 2-3 days at the most, unless brumating, then up to a week should be ok (again, best to have somebody come in and check on them, just in case your dragon decides to wake up).

Though many pellet brands indicate they are a complete diet, I don't feel they should be the only food fed to dragons. They are dry and more inclined to cause constipation in dragons. As dragons are not good with drinking from still water (ie water dish) they may end up getting dehydrated, if not giving regular misting and/or baths. There is a kind of pellet (or a few brands now) that are moist, not dry. These may effectively prevent dehydration but I don't know enough about them to say how effective/good they are overall. I don't think too many people use them to post trends.

The sad thing is not enough is known about bearded dragons in general or their complete diet requirements. Nor is there enough research (at least to my knowledge) about the long term effects of eating an all pellet diet etc. Much is guess work, some foods have gone through lab tests etc, by the companies that make the products and thus, may be safe or may not be safe in the long run. There are many reptile products out in the market that have proven to be bad for reptiles (ie calcium based sands, crushed walnuts causing impactions and eventually leading to death, heat/hot rocks which burn many reptiles due to uneven heating or shorting out) that are still sold as being safe for reptiles. Thus I don't have alot of confidence in what these companies say is safe for reptiles.
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PHLdyPayne

We have used pellets for many years and our dragons do very well one them. However, they are not the only food we feed. We supplement the pellets during the week with "salad" days throughout the week.

Transfering a dragon to pellets can be difficult. My suggestion would be the RepCal brand as they have three different colors from which a dragon can choose. All of our dragons have different preferences. Some eat the brown first while others will not touch them because they prefer the red and/or green. Some could care less and will eat any of them. We do not have a dragon that does not eat pellets. However, we start our little ones on them (mixed with greens daily) so they are accustomed to them.

Mix the pellets in with the normal food for a while so your dragon begins to eat them as part of the normal diet. Once they begin to be eaten you can try a day of just pellets. Soaking them in warm water works well as well as feeding them in the morning as the first meal of the day.

Good luck!
J Marchon Reptiles