Introduction
When it comes to feeding bearded dragons, the options are almost endless. After all, beardies are omnivores, and they will eat just about anything you give them. But, are should they eat anything you give? Definitely not.
A bearded dragon needs to have a balanced diet of plants and vegetables. Their food should mirror what they eat in the wild, but is onions in their natural menus? Can bearded dragons eat onions? Is it safe for them?
And, this article will answer these questions and what your dragon can get from eating onions. So, Let’s get started.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Onions?
Onions are a great addition to your meals to add flavor to them. They are also amazing with a little bit of batter and deep-fried into an amazing blooming onion. However, they may taste great for you, but bearded dragons cannot and shouldn’t eat onions.
If they ever eat onions, there is a high chance that they will get sick. And, if left untreated, it can take a turn for the worst.
Bearded dragons should not be fed onions since they are too acidic for your dragon. Your pet’s digestive system is very sensitive, and the acidity in onions can lead to discomfort for your dragon.
If you are looking for better vegetables for your dragon, you can refer to this article.
Why Can’t Bearded Dragons Eat Onions?
There are several nutrients in onions that a bearded dragon needs to stay healthy and grow to its fullest potential. But, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you should give onions to your dragons. Here are a few nutrients that are in an onion:
- Sugars: In each 100g of onions, there are 4.24g of sugar. This may give them energy, but a bearded dragon’s digestive system is not designed to process sugar. Feeding your dragon food with too much sugar will only result in health issues for your bearded dragon.
- Vitamin C: In each serving of onion, there is 7.4mg of vitamin C. This vitamin is necessary for your bearded dragon’s immune system, growth, and reproduction. But, this also makes the onion very acidic. Acidic food is detrimental to your bearded dragon’s health.
- Calcium: This is an essential mineral that makes your dragon grow bigger and stronger bones. And if your dragon eats too little calcium, it might develop a metabolic bone disease (MBD). This disease makes their bones weaker and more brittle. And the calcium in an onion is not enough to meet their daily dietary requirements.
- Phosphorus: Phosphorus is meant to help you regulate the amount of calcium your bearded dragon consumes. But, if the ratio between calcium and phosphorus is off, there will be issues. An onion has more phosphorus than calcium, which means that the calcium in the onion will not be absorbed into your bearded dragon’s bloodstream.
- Water: Bearded dragons get most of their hydration needs from the food they eat. And it’s great to feed them food that is moist to meet their daily water requirements. But, an onion has too much water and can cause diarrhea. Ironically, when this happens, your bearded dragon will end up dehydrated instead.
Pro-Tip: You can give your dragon liquid vitamins instead. You can get some of the best here!
What Type of Onion Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
Unfortunately, there are no onions that are healthy for your dragon. All of them are unhealthy and shouldn’t be given to bearded dragons. It doesn’t matter if you cook it either. The nutrients in the onion will not balance out enough for it to be healthy for your dragon.
If you are a new dragon owner, you should know that a beardie can get hurt badly by eating even small amounts of certain food. If you accidentally feed your bearded dragon an onion, observe any side-effects they may be experiencing. And, if you notice any changes, head to the vet immediately.
What Are Other Food That Is Unsafe For Your Bearded Dragons?
There are several foods that a bearded dragon shouldn’t eat. And, as a bearded dragon owner, you need to know about them as soon as possible. Here are a few other foods that are harmful to your pet beardies:
- Rhubarb: Beardies shouldn’t eat this vegetable because they have a lot of oxalic acids. These are dangerous for your dragon, and it’s best to keep this food away from your dragon.
- Avocado: These may seem healthy for people, but you shouldn’t feed these to your dragons. Avocado is high in substances that a bearded dragon should avoid at all costs.
- Spinach: As previously mentioned, food that is high in phosphorus is not great for dragons. And, spinach is among the richest source of phosphorus in the plant world.
- Lettuce: These are not necessarily toxic for your dragons, but the water content in them is too high. If you want to learn more, you can read about lettuces in this article.
What Vegetables Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
Instead of giving your beardie an onion, you can give some of these vegetables instead:
- Greens: A bearded dragon needs a lot of greens. And, among the best ones are arugula, carrot tops, mustard greens, kale, and dandelions.
- Squash: Bearded dragons may not love the flavor of the squash, but the health benefits they offer are amazing for your dragons.
- Carrots: These are great crunchy treats for your bearded dragon, and they are also healthy.
- Bell Peppers: These are great treats for your dragons. They are sweet and a great source of water and minerals.
- Cucumbers: These are a better source of hydration for your bearded dragon. They are much healthier too.
- Pumpkin: This has plenty of calcium and vitamins. But these can make your bearded dragon’s stomach upset. Do not give too many pumpkins to your dragons.
Pro-Tip: To entice your dragon to eat these veggies, put them in an amazing feeder!
Conclusion:
Bearded dragons need a variety of food to help them grow into large healthy adults. And, they will eat just about anything you give them. But, onions should not be part of their menus. These are too acidic and not very nutritious. It may fill them up fast, but your dragon will not benefit much from eating an onion.
There are better vegetables out there, and you’re better off choosing those instead. To give you a head start on the vegetables they can eat, here are a few other vegetables that can keep them filled up and healthy.
