Mushrooms are a great addition to any recipe. They can be used as an ingredient, or just for adding flavor and texture. As for bearded dragons, you may wonder, can bearded dragons eat mushrooms?<\/p>\r\n
So, can bearded dragons eat mushrooms? Bearded dragons cannot eat mushrooms. It has phosphorus levels that are higher than calcium content. Also, mushrooms contain oxalates. Both phosphorus and oxalates can harm your bearded dragons.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n While mushrooms contain vitamins and minerals that you’re beardie can benefit from, the high level of oxalates and phosphorus outweighs it. In this article, I will explain why you should avoid feeding mushrooms to your bearded dragon.<\/p>\r\n As many of you may already know, there are quite a few issues that can arise with beardies when their diet doesn\u2019t contain enough calcium. One of these issues is called Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). It is caused by low levels of calcium in the bloodstream, which causes the bones to become weak and brittle. This leads to fractures or even internal bleeding.<\/p>\r\n Metabolic bone disease is serious and if it’s not treated within a certain time, the bearded dragon will die.<\/p>\r\n Below are usually the cause of metabolic bone disease in bearded dragons:<\/p>\r\n Mushroom has a high amount of phosphorus that calcium content.<\/p>\r\n Bearded Dragons need a 2:1 Calcium to Phosphorus ratio in their diet to remain healthy.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n This means that when the bearded dragon eats the mushroom, the phosphorus will bind with calcium, which will prevent the mineral from being absorbed into their blood.<\/p>\r\n Since calcium is a vital mineral for bearded dragon’s health, food that is high in phosphorus should be avoided.<\/p>\r\n If the bearded dragon consumes food rich in phosphorus, over time it will result in metabolic bone disease and even death.<\/p>\r\n Mushroom contains a high amount of oxalates. Oxalate is a crystalline substance, commonly occurring in the human body. It is an organic compound found in plants, animals, and microorganisms. The oxalates are salts or esters of oxalic acid derived from the carboxyl group present in many organic acids such as malonic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, and others.<\/p>\r\n When it comes to bearded dragons, oxalates are actually very bad for them because they can cause kidney failure. Bearded dragons have been known to die from eating too many oxalate-containing foods.<\/p>\r\n Even a small amount of oxalates is enough to cause them some harm to their health.<\/p>\r\n One of the main concerns about oxalate is that it can bind to the minerals in the guy, which will prevent the body from absorbing them.<\/p>\r\n If the bearded dragon eats the mushroom, it will prevent calcium from all the food they eat from being absorbed. This will ultimately lead to metabolic bone disease.<\/p>\r\n Sometimes, you or someone may have left mushrooms laying around and your bearded dragon ate some. Depending on how many mushrooms they ate, it won’t affect their health much. It could be just an upset stomach and will go away in a couple of hours.<\/p>\r\n Much more severe symptoms will need the attention of a veteran.<\/p>\r\n Therefore, after your bearded dragon ate some mushroom, keep a close eye on them to see how much it’s affecting their health.<\/p>\r\n After your bearded dragon eats the mushroom, it will start to show some symptoms. The symptoms can range from mild to severe. Below are what you should look for:<\/p>\r\n If your bearded dragon is showing one of the severe symptoms, you will need to take them to the veterinarian right away.<\/p>\r\n Leeks should be off-limit for your bearded dragons. It’s similar to onions in nutrition. Too many leeks can cause organ failure, so it’s best to stay away from it.<\/p>\r\n Onions, whether it’s cooked or raw, should never be served to your bearded dragons. They are too acidic and could cause problems to the beardie’s digestive system.<\/p>\r\n Rhubarb is nutritious, but they contain high levels of oxalic acid. The vegetable has enough of it that can be deadly to the bearded dragons.<\/p>\r\n Mushrooms are nutritious, but for the bearded dragons, they are harmful. While you may be tempted to feed them some, even just a little, it’s not a good idea. Mushrooms contain a high amount of oxalate and the phosphorus is greater than calcium, which isn’t ideal for bearded dragons. Therefore, this is one of the food that you should exclude from their diet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Why Can’t Bearded Dragons Eat Mushrooms?<\/h2>\r\n
Improper Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio<\/h3>\r\n
Oxalates<\/h2>\r\n
What To Do If Your Bearded Dragon Eats a Mushroom<\/h2>\r\n
Symptoms of Mushroom Poisoning<\/h2>\r\n
Mild Symptoms<\/h3>\r\n
\r\n
Severe Symptoms<\/h3>\r\n
\r\n
Other Food That Bearded Dragons Cannot Eat<\/h2>\r\n
Leeks<\/h3>\r\n
Onions<\/h3>\r\n
Rhubarb<\/h3>\r\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\r\n