Can Bearded Dragons Eat Peanut Butter? Short answer: Yes, they can eat peanut butter. Long answer: No, they shouldn’t. Whatever you do, don’t feed your bearded dragon peanut butter because it is not a nutritious or healthy food for them to eat.
However, there are lots of foods that would be much better for them to eat so stick with those instead.
What’s Wrong With Peanut Butter For Bearded Dragons?
Although it is not necessarily bad for your bearded dragon to eat peanut butter, it certainly isn’t good for them.
Here’s why…
Reason 1: Fat
One of the main ingredients in peanut butter is fat. A wide variety of animals in the animal kingdom eat fat and we humans tend to think it isn’t a big deal. But in reality, our bodies only need so much fat and when we eat too much it can be quite harmful. The same goes for bearded dragons, they don’t need that much fat in their diets because the fats they do get should come from other sources such as plant oils.
Reason 2: Calories
Whenever you give your bearded dragon something new to eat you have to pay close attention to the amount of calories it contains compared to what is normal for them. For example, if you feed them peanut butter which is very high in calories (between 150-160 per tablespoon), it will make it harder for them to get enough calories from the rest of their diet.
So although they are getting calories through peanut butter, they may still end up underfed and this can lead to a variety of problems which we will discuss below.
Reason 3: Fiber
Being an herbivore, bearded dragons need lots of fiber in their diets to help them digest and process plant matter (just like humans and other herbivorous animals). If you look at peanut butter you’ll see that there really isn’t any fiber in it at all. What’s more, is that the oil used to make it doesn’t contain any either so your bearded dragon will miss out on those vital nutrients as well as some protein if he eats peanut butter.
Reason 4: Obesity
Obesity is the biggest concern. And, with lizards in captivity, they get limited exercise, so controlling their weight and calorie intake is important. Commercial diets are formulated with that in mind, but it’s up to the keeper to make sure they’re maintaining a healthy weight.
Can Bearded Dragons Consume These Foods?
Are There Benefits to Feeding My Bearded Dragon Peanut Butter?
Bearded dragons, like any other pet, need to be fed a healthy and balanced diet. This is true of their natural diets in the wild as well as what they eat in captivity.
There are definitely some benefits to feeding your bearded dragon peanut butter! A widely available brand of vegan, all-natural peanut butter for humans called PB2 is ideal for reptile owners looking to add extra protein and flavor boosts to their pets’ meals. It’s not only very nutritious but also low in fat so it works well when you’re looking to keep your beardie slim and trim (no pun intended).
Peanut Butter & Pre-Packaged Treats
A lot of pre-packaged treats for reptiles contain ingredients that include ground cereals, wheat, cornmeal and soy. Although these are not dangerous for your beardie to eat they are not very nutritious either. Peanut butter is high in protein so it’s a great choice when you’re looking to give your pet her favorite pre-packaged treats (in moderation).
Overall, peanut butter is ok for beardies but you should also be careful not to give it to them too often. And, if you’re feeding your beardie pre-packaged treats then opt for PB2 when possible.