Can Bearded Dragons Eat Salt?

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We understand you. As a bearded dragon owner, you must be thinking of ways to spice up your bearded dragon’s food. But what about salt? Humans love eating sweet and salty dishes. Can your bearded dragon eat salt? Do they love eating salt?

No! Bearded dragons don’t love eating salt. They prefer eating the earthy and nutty flavor of crickets over salt. In fact, bearded dragons can’t eat salt. That’s because salt can make bearded dragons dehydrated. And when they are dehydrated, their body temperature decreases. In turn, they start facing problems like respiratory distress and a weakened immune system. In the worst case, they can even die.

Why Can’t Bearded Dragons Eat Salt?

Nutrition	Quantity
Calcium	2%
Fat	10%
Sodium	7%
Carbohydrate	13%

Bearded dragons can’t eat salt because of the following reasons:

1. Not Enough Calcium – Bearded dragons require calcium in their diet to prevent metabolic bone disease. But, salt contains only 2% calcium, which isn’t enough to prevent them from developing metabolic bone disease.
2. Too Much Sodium – Bearded dragons need only 0.2% of sodium in their diet. But salt contains 7% sodium which is too much.
3. High Amount of Carbohydrate – Carbohydrates provide energy to bearded dragons. But the problem is carbohydrates contain fructose as well, which bearded dragons can’t digest. Also, the amount of carbohydrate is too much. Bearded dragons don’t need to eat this much carbohydrate. Eating too much carb can make them fat. And once bearded dragons become obese, diseases will find their way.
4. Too Much Fat – Salt contains 10% fat. Further, like camels, some amount of fat is stored in their fat pads. So can you give salt to your bearded dragon then? No! Sure. Bearded dragons do need some amount of fat in their diet. But they don’t need a high amount of fat in their diet. They can become fat really quickly. 

So, in short, bearded dragons shouldn’t eat salt. And when we say this, this means avoiding all types of food that contain salt: shrimp, fish, cottage cheese, etc.

And see, even humans are told to stay away from salt because it can cause them high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. So, just imagine how much more dangerous it would be for bearded dragons.

What Happens When Your Bearded Dragon Eat Salt?

Salt consumption pose dangerous health risks to bearded dragons, including:

1. Dehydration –  When bearded dragons ingest excessive amounts of salt, their cells can dehydrate quickly. Severe dehydration can make them lethargic. Brain swelling is another symptom that may occur when bearded dragons ingest high amounts of salt. They may also experience muscle cramps and joint stiffness due to high sodium levels in their bodies.

2. High Blood Pressure – High salt levels in a bearded dragon’s blood can lead to hypernatremia and high blood pressure. And this can be dangerous, especially if your bearded dragon already has anemia. So, to be on the safe side, make sure your bearded dragon doesn’t consume salt.

3. Sodium Ion Poisoning – If a bearded dragon consumes large amounts of salty food, the sodium level in their blood will increase. A high sodium imbalance can cause salt toxicity or sodium ion poisoning in bearded dragons. This condition can also lead to severe gastrointestinal issues, muscle tremors, heart attacks, or even death. So, in case your bearded dragon shows these signs, immediately call your vet.

Can Bearded Dragon Eat Salty Dish?

Salt is bad for bearded dragons. But what about salty dishes? Can bearded dragons eat food that has salt? Because, rationally thinking, apart from salt, those foods do have some other beneficial ingredients. For instance, cooked meat. It does contain salt, but it’s also a good source of protein.

But the answer is still no. Bearded dragons shouldn’t eat salty dishes either.

Now, it’s understandable that we want our little bearded dragon to enjoy food as much as we do. But it’s important to remember that their digestive system isn’t the same as ours. Salty food won’t mitigate the harmful effects on a bearded dragon.

And the good news is that there are lots of vegetables and fruits that have less to no salt. Even if your bearded dragon eats that food twice a week,  it won’t get sick. For instance, bugs. Young bearded dragons love eating bugs. Even if they are overfed with bugs, they will get fat but not sick. But salt is one of those foods that are dangerous for your bearded dragon. Even a small amount of salt is bad for beardie.

Following include the list of fruits and vegetables that a bearded dragon can eat:

• Apples
• Plum
• Watermelon
• Peaches
• Raspberries
• Apricot
• Cranberries
• Figs
• Grapes
• Papaya
• Mango
• Melons
• Butternut squash
• Cherries
• Raisins
• Pineapple
• Nectarine
• Banana

What To Do If Your Bearded Dragon Accidently Eats Salt?

If your bearded dragon accidentally ingests salt, then first of all, don’t panic. Give him or her lots of water so that sodium can flush out of its body. Now, we understand that it’s not easy to make a bearded dragon drink water. That’s why we have made a list that you can use to hydrate your bearded dragon:

1. Soaked Pellets

Bearded dragons love eating pellets. No matter how sick and stressed they are, they will always eat pellets. So, dip pellets in water. And then hand-feed those water-dripping pellets to your bearded dragon.

2. Water on Nose

In the wild, bearded dragons don’t drink from rivers. They keep themselves hydrated by drinking raindrops that fall down their nose. The same can be done with bearded dragons in captivity. If your bearded dragon isn’t drinking water, take an eye dropper and add fresh water into it. Make sure you are not adding tap water. Bearded dragons can’t digest chlorinated water. In some localities, chlorinated water comes from taps. Further, drop by drop, drip that water on the bearded dragon’s nose and snout.

3. Bath

Bearded dragons need to bathe every four to eight days. But we understand that this is easier said than done. Some bearded dragons get stressed in water. To make sure your bearded dragon doesn’t get stressed, keep an eye on them. If you want them to climb on something, you can give them something to climb on, for instance, a rock.

4. Spray Water on Bugs and Greens

Bearded dragon’s diet is composed of greens and bugs. Other than that, they really can’t eat anything else. So, one way to make sure your bearded dragon drinks water is to spray water on their food—bugs and greens.

5. Hydrated Bugs

It’s always recommended to gut-load your bugs so that when your bearded dragon eats those bugs, they will get the nutrients that your bearded dragon needs.

Further, since salt contains a high amount of sodium, it can increase the blood pressure of bearded dragons. To blunt the effects of sodium, give your bearded dragon high-potassium-containing fruits like kale, cilantro, kohlrabi, and cabbage.