In the wild, bearded dragons are normally active creatures. Dragons in captivity can obviously not be as active since they are confined to a cage. If your dragon is well cared for diet-wise, it will most likely become obese. A fat dragon can look so cute; however, it is not great for them. They can get a sickness called “fatty liver disease” or kidney problems. Both can be deadly!
Causes of Bearded Dragon Obesity
Too much protein, or fatty foods in the diet – Feeding excessive fatty foods such as hornworms, silkworms, or super worms, can lead to obesity as well as fatty liver disease.
Lack of exercise – Bearded dragons that are stuck in their cages or do not get out much, don’t have space or time to walk and explore, which means no exercise and can lead to obesity.
What Can I Do?
Protein is the main cause of obesity. Your dragon should only have protein 3 – 4 times a week; the rest of the time should be veggies, greens, and fruit. If obesity is an issue, you can cut on the protein a bit and replace it with greens. This is only in the case of full-grown dragons. When they are babies they do not get fat easily, because everything they eat is used to grow.
Cut on fatty foods. Rather than fatty foods such as hornworms or super worms, feed dubias, or crickets, as they contain less fat. Read more about the Bearded Dragon Diet
Take them out more often to exercise. Some dragons love to swim, a small shallow pool or bathtub with lukewarm water is a great way to lose some grams.
NEVER LEAVE YOUR DRAGON WITHOUT FOOD TO COMBAT OBESITY THAT IS CRUEL!
