Dandelions have developed an unlucky fame through the years. To many individuals they’re seen merely as annoying weeds; one thing to dig out the garden earlier than they set seed.
But for a lot of generations these saw-toothed leaves have been thought-about a helpful meals supply; there are even historic data of dandelion roots being dried, floor, and used to make a warming beverage.
If, like me, dandelions appear to sprout freely round your backyard regardless of your finest efforts, what might be accomplished with them? Ought to they merely be thrown onto the compost heap, or can they be fed to your bearded dragon as a substitute?
Bearded dragons can eat dandelion leaves. Even higher, whereas it’s tempting to look down on dandelions as annoying weeds, they’re truly filled with vitamins and may characterize a really helpful (and free!) foodstuff in your beardie.
How Usually to Feed Dandelions To a Bearded Dragon
Dandelion leaves might be fed to your bearded dragon frequently. They are often thought-about a staple of your bearded dragon’s food plan when fed as only one factor in a assorted, balanced meal.
When in season, dandelions might be fed every day to your bearded dragon. They need to, nonetheless, be the one meals stuff supplied to your bearded dragon, and may at all times be mixed with different meals.
Vitamins Present in Dandelions
The common-or-garden dandelion is surprisingly blessed with vitamins. Most notably for reptile keepers, dandelion leaves are surprisingly excessive in calcium. As everyone knows, calcium is essential for wholesome bones.
Traditionally, diurnal lizards like bearded dragons have been prone to skeletal points, prompted both by inadequate UV gentle, or by an absence of calcium within the food plan. Any meals excessive in calcium, resembling dandelion leaves, can assist to stave off these dangers, and preserve your bearded dragon in full well being for years to return.
However calcium is way from the one advantage of feeding dandelion leaves to your beardie. Dandelion leaves are additionally excessive in fiber; making up round 7% of the leaf. Excessive fiber meals assist to assist the sleek functioning of the digestive system, lowering the possibilities of constipation or impaction.
Like so many different edible inexperienced leaves, dandelions are wealthy in different nutritional vitamins and minerals too. Notable on the vitamin charts are vitamin A, riboflavin and iron.
And as if this wasn’t sufficient, dandelion leaves have another trick up their sleeve. Dandelions are low in carbohydrates and in sugars. This can assist to maintain your bearded dragon at an acceptable weight, in distinction to high-sugar meals (resembling many fruits) which may result in unhealthy weight acquire if fed too typically.
Oxalic Acid Ranges in Dandelions
Oxalates are a critical consideration in the case of choosing foodstuffs in your lizard. Excessive ranges of oxalic acid in meals could make it tougher in your bearded dragon to soak up calcium. And as beforehand mentioned, ample calcium is essential for a contented, wholesome bearded dragon.
Dandelions have a reasonable quantity of oxalic acid in them.
Whereas for a lot of different meals a moderate-to-high oxalate degree is commonly sufficient to counsel such meals ought to solely be fed sometimes, this isn’t essentially the case with dandelion leaves.
There are two the reason why the reasonable oxalate degree shouldn’t fear you an excessive amount of. Firstly, the extent isn’t excessive – simply reasonable. There are common foodstuffs with far larger ranges (resembling candy potato and carrots) however these can nonetheless be used as a part of a balanced, assorted food plan.
The second cause this shouldn’t rule out dandelions as a meals in your bearded dragon is all the way down to the calcium ranges, which we’ll cowl within the subsequent part.
Calcium:Phosphorus Ratios in Dandelions
When assessing meals for reptiles, an necessary consideration is the calcium to phosphorus ratio. It’s typically agreed that the optimum ratio of those two vitamins is 2:1. The nearer we are able to get to this quantity, the better your bearded dragon will discover it to construct and preserve a wholesome skeleton.
Dandelions have a powerful calcium:phosphorus ratio of two.8:1.
That is a lot larger than many different widespread foodstuffs. Apple, for instance, solely has a 0.7:1 ratio for distinction.
The exceptionally excessive calcium ranges imply that dandelions can type an necessary and worthwhile a part of your bearded dragon’s food plan. Even utilized in small quantities, it may well assist to counteract the very low ranges of calcium discovered in lots of different meals.
Moreover, while we highlighted the reasonable oxalic acid ranges earlier on this article, the truth that calcium ranges are so excessive, means the oxalates must be much less of a priority.
All in all, dandelion leaves characterize among the best sources of calcium accessible, making them a worthwhile addition to any bearded dragon menu.
Causes To not Feed Dandelions To Your Bearded Dragon
By now we’ve seen all the advantages of feeding dandelions to your bearded dragon. However after all for steadiness it’s price highlighting why you would possibly not wish to feed them to your pet.
Firstly, after all, dandelions typically can’t be purchased out of your native grocery store. You’ll have to exit and decide the leaves your self. This may imply further effort.
It might additionally threat introducing weed killers and different chemical substances to your pet. In the event you decide to select dandelions in your bearded dragon it’s a good suggestion to both solely decide them in your personal backyard, or miles out within the countryside. Dandelions discovered close to a street, in a neighborhood park and so forth will all be prone to harmful chemical substances.
Then after all there’s the truth that dandelions have a “season”. They have an inclination to die again in winter, and regrow within the spring. Dandelions due to this fact aren’t actually a foodstuff you may supply year-round. As an alternative, it’s one thing to feed through the summer time after which swap for one thing else as fall comes round.
Subsequent, as talked about, dandelions have an inexpensive oxalic acid content material, although maybe that is somewhat offset by the excessive calcium ranges they comprise.
And lastly, fairly frankly, some bearded dragons merely don’t just like the style an excessive amount of. In reality, dandelion leaves might be fairly bitter, so don’t be offended in case your beardie refuses among the extra tart leaves you supply.
Easy methods to Put together Dandelions for Your Bearded Dragon
Dandelion leaves must be fed contemporary and uncooked. As talked about earlier, solely decide dandelion leaves from areas the place you might be sure no weed killers or pesticides have been used. Both decide them from your personal backyard should you develop organically, or decide them miles out within the countryside removed from chemical sprayers and so forth.
Wash the leaves completely underneath working water, then finely slice them. Add them to a bowl comprising different useful fruit and veggies and feed.
The usual guidelines of feeding bearded dragons all apply; don’t feed an excessive amount of and make sure to take away any uneaten meals earlier than it has an opportunity to spoil.
