Feeding dragons mealworms

[Leopardfire]

I usually feed my dragons canned crickets and mealworms, but my male will only eat mealworms. For the past few months, I have fed him only canned mealworms with a few live crickets every couple of weeks dusted with calcium. I read that mealworms have hard exoskeletons and are hard to digest and not nutritious. Is it healthy for my dragon to be eating mostly mealworms?

 

[Germ]

Here is a good read for you that may give you some answers about Mealie Myth ... Be sure to check out the attachments & notice that no one has been able to take up the challenge ...
Mealie Basher 'Challenge'

Personally, I wouldn't feed my Dragon's dried anything .

 

[gilliesexotics]

Hi, i think what you have done up to this point is working. If i read your introduction thread right you have a dragon 4 years old and from the pics looks to be in good apparent health. I dont have long term use of mealworms with bearded dragon as i do with other lizards to say if there is any ill affects from using them. With no long term isolated studies done. It is a grey area you have to use your best judgement on and hope you are right. Feeding a variety is best in most situations.

My personal opinion. The fat content is high in this insect. If not done right, i would worry about kidney issues over a period of time.

 

[Aleena]

Worms in general aren't usually used as a staple because most of them have too high of a fat content.

 

[Noella]

It's preference. It's whether you want to feed mealworms or not. I prefer not to feed my dragon mealworms, but will feed her superworms as an occasional treat. I don't even feed dried anything. I participated in the mealworm basher challenge and spent the entire night researching and looking for pictures that showed impaction from too many mealworms. There were no pics anywhere unless you count for a bearded dragon that was living on crushed walnut and undigested mealworms in the stomach. Mealworms have a hard chitin shell that's hard to digest if your dragon's young. (Baby or Juveniles. They will get impacted from mealworms.) Adults, if properly hydrated can be fed mealworms.

So basically, it's preference, age of the dragon, and your choice whether or not to feed mealworms. I feed mine turnip greens, collard greens, or mustard greens, along with 4 crickets. (She doesn't look for anymore unless she's in the mood. Otherwise, she turns her head away from the container.)

 

[gilliesexotics]

Mealworms have a hard chitin shell that's hard to digest if your dragon's young. (Baby or Juveniles. They will get impacted from mealworms.)

Hi, This is another myth Over the years we have tried different methods for growing babies to see what works best. Young dragons can digest them just fine but like any sized dragon over feeding will sometimes end with undigested mealworms. For other reasons we do however opt not to feed young/baby dragons being kept in multiples in an enclosure, mealworms.

 

[Augie]

Germ has really won me over when it comes to the mealworms debate (also the high protein debate with roaches, but that's another thread, heck, prob'ly a different forum entirely ). I don't have future plans to include mealworms as part of my dragons diet because I don't see the utility, convenience, or benefit of doing so. Maybe as an occasional treat, but I think there are other, more convenient options (such as butterworms) that in the end accomplish the same thing.

I do have an old container of freeze dried mealworms. Maybe in the future I'll toss some in his salad (the day he starts actually EATING his salad, of course).