Can Bearded Dragons Eat Broccoli? {Do They Like It ?}

Vegetables can be a useful food source for bearded dragons if you know the right ones to feed them. Are you wondering Can Bearded Dragons Eat Broccoli?

Not all vegetables are safe to feed your bearded dragon. But what about broccoli.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Broccoli?

Yes, Bearded dragons can eat broccoli and they love eating it, but you should only feed it to them as a treat and as an addition to a healthy diet.

Now, it’s nice to know that broccoli makes the list of vegetables you can feed your bearded dragon. But knowing this is not enough. It is important to understand what parts your dragon eats and how frequently this vegetable should be included in its diet. That’s why we’re here.

How often can I feed a bearded dragon broccoli?

This tree-shaped vegetable is packed with several nutrients essential to your dragon’s wellbeing. In spite of this, you should be disciplined in how much broccoli you feed it. This is because broccoli contains oxalates and a little too much phosphorus. These minerals may be harmful to bearded dragons in excess.

You should feed your dragons broccoli in small amounts once or twice a month. This way you can enjoy some of the benefits while avoiding the risks. Here are some of the benefits your dragons get when you practice moderation:

• This vegetable is mostly made up of water and can be an important source of hydration.
• It is rich in Vitamin A and ascorbic acid; these boost immune system function and improve growth and reproduction.
• It contains fiber which helps to ease digestion.
• It contains potassium which improves muscle function and is useful in promoting water retention.
• It contains Vitamin K1 which is important in regulating blood clotting.
• The potassium content also helps to regulate blood pressure.
• It helps in maintaining the oxygenation of blood.
• Broccoli also contains manganese which is useful in fighting inflammation.
• Manganese also eases metabolism in your dragons.

Can bearded dragons eat raw broccoli?

It is advisable to serve broccoli to your bearded dragon raw instead of processing it by cooking or steaming. Serving it raw will provide your reptilian pet with the most amount of nutrients in this vegetable. Raw broccoli is also what dragons are familiar with in the wild.

Can bearded dragons eat cooked broccoli?

Bearded dragons can eat cooked broccoli, but raw broccoli is better for them. Cooking removes a lot of the nutrients present in your broccoli and makes it relatively less beneficial to your bearded dragon.

Can baby bearded dragons eat broccoli?

Possibly, but you probably shouldn’t feed them broccoli early on. Baby bearded dragons need more insects than vegetables in their diet. The ideal balance is estimated to be around 80% insects and 20% plants (this is reversed in adults). Broccoli should not be part of these plants.

Why is broccoli a bad idea for your baby dragons? For one, broccoli’s toughness might make it difficult for baby dragons to eat. Beyond this, and more importantly, the health risks of feeding them broccoli outweigh whatever benefits it can give at this stage.

Broccoli contains oxalic acid which is especially harmful to your baby dragon’s development. Also, it has very little calcium and high phosphorous content which is bad for a baby dragon still growing its bones.

What part of broccoli can bearded dragons eat?

The precise parts of broccoli you should feed your bearded dragons vary slightly with who you ask. Broccoli is a rather tough vegetable. When feeding your bearded dragon this delicacy, it’s best to stick to the softer parts. This often means your serving will be restricted to the crown of the broccoli.

Your dragons can eat the buds on the crown of broccoli without hassle. You can also give them the flowery parts of the florets if the broccoli has started to blossom. Do not give your bearded dragons the stalk or stem of the broccoli. These parts are significantly harder to chew.

Is broccoli poisonous for bearded dragons?

In moderation, broccoli is safe when feeding is restricted to adult and juvenile bearded dragons. When given in excess, no. Broccoli is high in oxalates and contains a significant amount of phosphorous compared to calcium.

Oxalic acid can be deadly for your reptilian pet because it inhibits the animal’s ability to utilize calcium. It binds with this mineral and makes it difficult for your dragon to absorb whatever calcium it consumes. This can result in a condition known as metabolic bone disease. Metabolic bone disease causes the limbs of your bearded dragon to contort and may paralyze it. If left untreated, this disease can kill your dragon. Oxalic acid may also cause your dragon to develop kidney stones.

Phosphorus, similar to oxalic acid, prevents calcium from being absorbed into this animal’s bloodstream. It can also result in metabolic bone disease when the amount of calcium your body absorbs becomes too little to reach your bones.

A high phosphorus to calcium ratio is not unique to broccoli. Bearded dragons fare better when given foods that contain calcium and phosphorus in the same ratio.

Hot to prepare broccoli for bearded dragons

You should always opt for organically grown vegetables when available. This is to contain the possibility of feeding your bearded dragon vegetables laced with toxic chemical compounds. Even small traces of chemical fertilizer or pesticide can be detrimental to this animal’s health.

Whether your broccoli is cultivated organically or not, you must thoroughly wash it before serving it to your bearded dragon. Bacteria may be present on organic vegetables.

Feed your dragons from the broccoli head. Broccoli is tough so you should chop the buds into very small pieces your dragon can eat without difficulty.

Another way to serve your dragons is to scrape the top of your broccoli crown into a bowl. You can sprinkle this over other food items you’re serving along with the broccoli. This is especially useful if you’re introducing broccoli to a picky pet for the first time.

Avoid serving the stalk and stem to your dragons. These parts are more difficult to chew even when reduced to small cubes. Your bearded dragons may find them unappealing. Also, if the broccoli you’ll be feeding your dragons is frozen, you should let it thaw first.