Bearded dragons can eat a wide variety of items, and dandelions can be considered as one of them. We often hear a lot about feeding dandelions to the bearded dragons. So, a lot of people who have pet bearded dragons at home might ask the question : Can bearded dragons eat dandelions.
There is nothing wrong in introducing new and safe food items to your pet bearded dragons. However, before that you must check out the different aspects of that food item correctly. These include nutritional value, feeding frequency, serving technique, etc.
Gaining a thorough knowledge about these aspects will give you the capacity to make decisions that are good for your dear pet. So, without wasting further time, let us understand all the important details regarding giving dandelions to your pet bearded dragons.
Know can bearded dragons eat dandelions
When we are asking this question, we are essentially wondering about the safety related aspects of this food item in the case of bearded dragons. The dandelions are very much safe for your bearded dragons and it will not cause any kind of problems in their body.
In fact, they are so safe that you can feed them to your pet bearded dragons almost every day. When it comes to the diet of bearded dragons, it can be assured that dandelions are extremely healthy and can be thought of as a staple green.
However, when you are giving dandelions to your little bearded dragon for the first time, you must make sure that you are giving very small amounts. Every bearded dragon body is different and introducing new food items slowly will give you the capacity to find out how they are reacting to it.
Dandelions Nutritional Value
To understand the question : can bearded dragons eat dandelions further, we must take a look at its nutritional value. This will offer us some clarity regarding the feeding of dandelions to the bearded dragons.
- The dandelions can be thought of as a rich source of calcium that will help your bearded dragon a lot. Calcium is very important for the task of fulfilling different functions in the body of the bearded dragon. As a result, it will promote the proper growth and development of the bearded dragon.
- Another significant advantage associated with this food item is that here, calcium concentration is greater than that of phosphorus. When a food item has greater concentration of phosphorus, it will prevent the complete absorption of calcium. Such food items can eventually cause metabolic bone disease in the bearded dragon. However, if the calcium concentration is greater, such fatal situations will not occur.
- Apart from that, the dandelion leaves are considered as a rich source of a variety of important vitamins and minerals. These include Vitamin K, Vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, iron, etc. These nutrients will promote the overall health and well being of the bearded dragon. So, giving your bearded dragon some dandelions once in a while can be regarded as an excellent dietary choice.
Feeding Frequency
Now that we saw can bearded dragons eat dandelions, let’s go through the feeding frequency that you will have to follow when offering dandelions to your bearded dragons.
As we have already stated, there is no harm in feeding dandelions to your pet bearded dragons every day. However, you have to note that dandelion leaves contain some quantity of oxalates that acts similar to phosphorus when it comes to calcium absorption. If you don’t want to face this problem then you have to look for ways that will help in keeping the calcium absorption unaffected.
It would be a great idea to feed dandelion leaves to your bearded dragon along with different kinds of calcium-rich greens. You can offer them plenty of collard greens with the dandelions. So, you will not have to deal with the problem of calcium depletion when feeding dandelions to your bearded dragons.
Serving Dandelions to your bearded dragons
It is very important that you feed dandelions to your bearded dragon in the right way.
- First of all, you have to take the dandelions and remove the stems that are still attached to the leaves of the dandelions.
- Then, you have to wash the leaves thoroughly to remove any dirt or insects that might be present on the leaf surface. Don’t feed the leaves to your bearded dragon directly without washing as it might cause a number of health issues and infections in their body.
- Next, you have to chop the leaves into small pieces. It is very important that you cut the dandelion leaves into small pieces. Your bearded dragon will not be able to eat the big leaf pieces correctly.
- These leaf pieces can be added to their salads. For instance, you can add bell peppers, carrots, collard greens, and dandelion leaves together and mix them with some raspberry before offering it to your bearded dragon.
Some Important Tips
We have discovered can bearded dragons eat dandelions. Now, we will go through some tips that will help you a lot if you are going to feed dandelions to your bearded dragon for the very first time.
- Dandelion flowers are rich in antioxidants and beta carotene and can be given as a treat. However, it must not be given as a staple, as the flowers are not calcium rich and might ruin the bearded dragon’s appetite.
- Dandelion puffs will not offer any nutrients to your bearded dragon. Hence, avoid offering dandelion puffs to your pet.
- Dandelion stems must be avoided as the stem sap has the capacity to cause stomach related problems in bearded dragons.
Conclusion
So, we have answered the question : can bearded dragons eat dandelions. Dandelions can be offered to your pet bearded dragon along with different other veggies. Always use the dandelions that are growing in your own yard. Feeding dandelions that are growing in the wild is not recommended because they might have come across many harmful chemicals. When it is from your own yard, you can assure that the dandelions are completely safe and chemical free at the same time.
