Beetroot is one of the most versatile vegetables you will ever come across. This root vegetable is packed with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Most people will use beetroot in cooking and part of a salad. While the beetroot is safe for humans to eat, can bearded dragons eat beetroot?
So, can bearded dragons eat beetroot? Yes, bearded dragons can eat beetroot. However, the root vegetable should only be fed to them on occasion. The reason for this is that beetroot contains a high amount of phosphorus and oxalate. Both of these are harmful to the bearded dragon in large amounts as they prevent calcium from being absorbed by the body.
Why Bearded Dragons Should Not Eat Beetroot Every Day
While most vegetables are safe and can be fed to the bearded dragon often, beetroots cannot. This vegetable cannot be fed to them every day or too often.
Below are the reasons why:
Poor Nutrition. Bearded dragons need plenty of nutrition each day to stay healthy. Unfortunately, beetroot doesn’t have all or too little of the nutrients that bearded dragons need.
One of the nutrients that are essential for the reptile is calcium. This mineral is important as it is needed to prevent them from developing metabolic bone disease.
High in Oxalates. Beetroot is naturally high in oxalates. Oxalate is compound that binds to calcium and other minerals. For a bearded dragon, it can cause them health issues. When calcium isn’t able to be absorbed by the body, the body will start to extract calcium from the bones. This will eventually lead to metabolic bone disease.
Too much phosphorus. Beetroot has disproportionate calcium to phosphorus ratio. The phosphorus content is much higher than calcium. Like oxalate, the phosphorous will bind to calcium and other minerals. This will prevent the minerals from being absorbed into the bloodstream.
Is It Healthy For Bearded Dragons To Eat Beetroot?
While beetroots are not to be fed to them too often, it does have some nutrition that can benefit your bearded dragon.
Beetroot is packed with essential nutrients, which include fiber, folate, manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C.
Nutrition Facts
3/4 cup (100 grams) of raw beets have the following nutrients:
- Calories: 43
- Water: 88%
- Protein: 1.6 grams
- Carbs: 9.6 grams
- Sugar: 6.8 grams
- Fiber: 2.8 grams
- Fat: 0.2 grams
Below are some of the health benefits of feeding beetroot to your bearded dragon:
Provide Hydration
Raw beetroot contains about 80% water. This means that it is a great choice to keep your bearded dragon hydrated. This is a root vegetable that you can give them a little bit of in the summer to prevent them from becoming dehydrated.
Boost Immune System
Beetroot is a good source of vitamin C, which is essential to the immune system. If your bearded dragon isn’t getting enough of this essential vitamin, its body will be more vulnerable to all sorts of sicknesses and diseases. By giving your beardie more vitamin C in your diet, you should be able to give your reptile’s immune system a big boost.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Beetroot Greens?
Bearded dragons can eat beetroot greens, but only on occasion. While the greens have plenty of nutrition, it has too high of oxalates. The oxalate will bind to the calcium and prevent it from being absorbed by the body.
When the beardie doesn’t get enough calcium from the food they eat, the calcium will be extracted from the bone by the body. This will eventually lead to metabolic bone disease.
How To Feed Beetroot To Bearded Dragons
When feeding beetroot to your bearded dragon, it’s straightforward and doesn’t require a lot of time preparing it.
- With a fresh beetroot, wash them first to remove any pesticides and other chemicals that may be on there.
- Next, remove the peel from the root vegetable.
- Then cut the beetroot into smaller pieces.
- With the small pieces of the vegetable, you have the option to feed them just the beetroot or mix it with other vegetables. If mixing them with other vegetables, make sure each piece of the vegetable is cut into small pieces as well.
- Place them into their feeding bowl and serve them to your beardie.
While beetroots are nutritious, make sure to only give them a small amount of the vegetable at each feeding.
How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Beetroot?
Bearded dragons should be fed beetroot in moderation.
The vegetable doesn’t have enough nutrition to support the bearded dragon’s health. Also, it contains a high amount of oxalate, which in large amounts can cause harm.
This means you should only give them a small piece of beetroot, once or twice per month.
Conclusion
We all want to feed our pet bearded dragon the best diet possible. And while beetroot is healthy for us, it can be too much of a good thing for our bearded dragons. Beetroot has high levels of oxalic acid, which can cause an upset stomach or even kidney failure in your lizard. Feed your bearded dragon beetroot in moderation and avoid overfeeding this tasty vegetable!
