Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cabbage? Cabbage can be a cheap alternative to a snack for a Bearded Dragon.
Cabbage offers all kinds of vitamins and minerals for yourself and for your bearded dragon. Many owners are wondering what they can feed their beardies from foods that lie in the fridge
This article will break down if you can feed cabbages, what kind of cabbages, and how often.
Bearded Dragons can eat all kinds of food. Check out the rest of the article! to find out more information
Can Bearded Dragons eat Cabbage?
Yes, Bearded Dragons can eat cabbage. Cabbage has many nutritional aspects to it. Such as cancer prevention, heart health, immunity, digestion, magnesium, Vitamin K, and Folate.
Red Cabbage
Red cabbage is the first choice in my opinion to give your bearded dragon
Bearded dragons can have red cabbage.
It’s full of vitamins and minerals that can improve your reptile’s health.
For digestion, red cabbage has a good amount of Fiber.
There’s Vitamins C, K, and B6. Vitamin K is for tissue health and blood cell maintenance.
Vitamin B6 supports the nervous system and provides energy.
Red cabbage has magnesium as well. These minerals boost metabolism levels and regulate blood sugar levels.
A benefit that comes from Bearded Dragons eating red cabbage is that it acts as a source of antioxidants. Antioxidants can prevent inflammation.
Red Cabbage is low in fat and sugar, which can help lower your lizard’s risks of obesity, diabetes, and unexplained weight gain.
How much to give them?
Because of its high nutritional content, bearded dragons can eat red cabbage regularly. You can feed your Bearded Dragon Red cabbage a few times a week.
Green Cabbage
Green cabbage is perfectly safe for Bearded Dragons to eat in moderation.
It’s affordable and easy to get your hands on. Plus, it’s pretty nutritious and has a lot to offer your Bearded Dragon.
Green cabbage has a good amount of Vitamin C, potassium, and iron.
Vitamin C is important to give your Bearded Dragon a more sturdy immune system. While iron and potassium improve blood quality and circulation.
Green cabbage is low in fats, sugars, and oxalates as well.
The best part of bearded dragons eating green cabbage is its calcium to phosphorus ratio.
Calcium outweighs phosphorus by a ratio of 2:1, making it a valuable food for bone health and development
How Much Cabbage can your give a bearded dragon?
Bearded dragons can eat green cabbage once a week.
If other vegetables are a part of your Bearded Dragon’s diet, you may want to limit green cabbage to once every other week. Green cabbage isn’t ideal as a diet staple, but you can easily incorporate it occasionally into your lizard’s diet without any issues.
Napa Cabbage
Napa cabbage is a unique vegetable because of its distinctive shape and thickness, which puts it different from the other cabbages.
Regardless of those differences, this is a type of cabbage that your bearded dragon can eat as well. The Napa cabbage is also known as the Chinese cabbage.
It’s high in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and fiber. The vegetable favors calcium, which can lower the risk of skeletal issues like metabolic bone disease.
How much to give them?
This cabbage falls under the category of green cabbage. It should only be fed to your Bearded Dragon once a week to once every other week.
Why is it important to limit intake?
Bearded dragons can eat most of the common varieties of cabbage. Many kinds actually have nutritional components that make this food good for your Bearded Dragon.
Many herpetology enthusiasts like to incorporate cabbage into their Bearded dragon meals quite regularly.
The reason why it is important to limit their cabbage intake is because of the Goitrogens.
Goitrogens are compounds that interfere with the thyroid gland.
Eating too many goitrogens can result in a condition called goiter in Bearded Dragons, which is a condition that causes an unusual enlargement of the thyroid gland.
When the thyroid gland swells, it’s unable to function as it should.
The thyroid is responsible for producing all hormones that regulate several functions.
So when the glands are not in line, your bearded dragon’s health can take a severe toll.
High goitrogen intake can even lead to hyperthyroidism, leading to a dangerous drop in hormone production.
Unfortunately, nearly all varieties of cabbage are goitrogenic, so there’s always a risk of this.
The good news is that your bearded dragon can eat cabbage with these goitrogens without any issues.
If they couldn’t, cabbage and a bunch of other vegetables would be off the table. Such as broccoli, collard greens, and kale.
Which cabbage is best to feed your Bearded Dragon?
The healthiest and best type of cabbage you can feed is red cabbage.
Red cabbage still contains goitrogens like other cabbages. However, those kinds of cabbages aren’t as prevalent. Compared to green and napa cabbage, red cabbage isn’t nearly as goitrogenic.
As a result, you’re free to feed your Bearded Dragon Red cabbage a few times a week because it’s actually rather good for them.
Preparing Cabbage For Your Bearded Dragon
Avoid feeding your Bearded Dragon canned or frozen cabbage. Cooking and freezing processes negatively impact the nutritional density of the vegetables. Most of those all-important vitamins and minerals go out the window, leaving nothing but empty calories in their place.
Raw cabbage is the best way to give them cabbage.
Before your bearded dragon can eat cabbage, it’s important for you to clean it. Remove the leaves and wash both sides. Get rid of any residue and debris that your bearded dragon could accidentally ingest.
Next, remove the stalks. Cabbage stalks are way too firm for your Bearded dragon to eat.
Some can chew through the fibrous stems without any problems, but digestive problems can occur later on. It’s best to remove them entirely and only provide crunchy leaves.
Next is to chop the cabbage into small pieces that are easy to handle for your Bearded Dragon.
Add the cabbage to a small plate and serve it to them As always, keep an eye on your lizard’s health if this is their first time eating cabbage.
If you should encounter any issues, make sure to stop feeding them cabbage and visit a vet for assistance
Conclusion
Bearded Dragons can have cabbage as long as you prepare it properly and limit how much they eat.
This is one of the most convenient foods to include in their diet, so it is good to mix it in every once in a while. Just stick to the guidelines listed above and your Bearded Dragon will be able to enjoy this food and live a long happy and healthy life.
