Can Bearded Dragons Eat Arugula? beardeddragongeek.com

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Arugula?

by

Arugula is a healthy and nutritious vegetable for humans, which is closely related to broccoli and is often added to salads. It has a pretty strong and intense peppery flavor. Comparatively, Baby arugula has a less intense flavor. You may have enjoyed the peppery and tart flavor of arugula and also wondered, can you feed arugula to bearded dragons? Can bearded dragons eat Arugula safely?

In this article will find that out. This article deals with the following questions related to bearded dragons and arugula:

What is Arugula Nutrition Profile?

The nutritional value of raw arugula per 100g serving is as under:

  • Calories: 25Cal
  • Water Content: 91.71g
  • Carbohydrates: 3.65g
  • Sugars: 2.05g
  • Fat: 0.66g
  • Proteins: 2.58g
  • Calcium: 160mg
  • Phosphorus: 52mg
  • Vitamin A: IU2373IU
  • Vitamin C: 15mg
  • Oxalates: 7mg
  • Ca:P Ratio: 3.1:1

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Arugula?

The short answer is:

  • Yes, bearded dragons eat arugula.
  • Bearded dragons can eat mature arugula. But baby arugula is more beneficial and recommended.

The baby arugula is that which has been harvested young and is smaller. Due to the peppery strong flavor of arugula, some bearded dragons might not prefer it. In this article, you will also learn to prepare the arugula so that your bearded dragon likes it.

How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Arugula?

Bearded dragons can eat arugula leaves (Only once a day). But to be on the safer side, you can feed them arugula once every week. This is because arugula has oxalate and excessive oxalates can stop the absorption of calcium in bearded dragons. Oxalates tend to bind up with calcium like phosphorous. Similarly, arugula also has goitrogens which can harm the thyroids, kidneys, and liver of your bearded dragon. So,

You can feed arugula to your bearded dragon once every week.

Some bearded dragons can daily eat the arugula but there is a risk of health issues. So, to be on the safer side, feed your dragon arugula once every week.

Can Bearded Dragon Eat Baby Arugula?

Yes, Bearded dragons can eat baby Arugula.

Baby arugula is more beneficial for bearded dragons as compared to matured arugula. Its leaves are easy to digest and it has a less peppery flavor.

Following is the nutrition information for ½ cup of baby arugula:

  • Calories: 2.5 kcal
  • Protein: 0.25 g
  • Carbohydrates: 0.35g
  • Fat: 0.06 g
  • Ash: 0.14 g
  • Fiber: 0.16 g
  • Calcium: 16 mg

What Are The Benefits of Feeding Arugula To Bearded Dragons?

Arugula has many benefits for your bearded dragon. Like other greens, it gives essential calcium and nutrients to your bearded dragon. It also protects your dragon from cancer. It is also rich in antioxidants which offer protection and reverse the damage of body cells.

The benefits of feeding arugula to your bearded dragon are as under:

Arugula Is Rich In Calcium:

Calcium is very important for the growth and overall well-being of your bearded dragon. It ensures strong muscles, tissues, and skeletal of your pet dragon. The deficiency of calcium can cause metabolic bone disease (MBD). Feeding arugula to bearded dragons will minimize the risk of MBD.

No High Blood Pressure:

Arugula is potassium-rich. Potassium helps your bearded dragon to maintain blood flow. The chance of high blood pressure is minimized with potassium potassium-rich diet.

Hydration:

Arugula has a high content of water, it is made of 91% water. Feeding this peppery diet to your bearded dragon will hydrate him.

Bearded dragons take water from their food. A typical 300g bearded dragon needs 10ml of water daily. Feeding arugula will provide him necessary water.

Strong Digestive System:

Arugula is rich in fiber which helps your bearded dragon to process food and insects. It also improves the gut flora of your pet dragon.

Help your Dragon to Grow:

Arugula has proteins that help your dragon to grow. Although arugula doesn’t contain too much protein, but protein is a key element for growth and muscle development in bearded dragons.

Arugula Ensures Good Vision and Better Growth:

Arugula is rich in vitamin A which helps your bearded dragon maintain good eye health, better vision, and better growth of body cells. It also boosts your bearded dragon’s immunity.

Boosts Immunity:

Vitamin C, present in this peppery-flavored meal acts as an antioxidant and boosts the immunity of your pet dragon.

Healing Wound:

Arugula has vitamin K which is excellent for blood coagulation when your pet is wounded. It helps your pet dragon to clot faster on the wound.

What are Arugula Health Concerns?

Like all plants and fruits, arugula has also some side effects for bearded dragons. Although there are not any major side effects, the presence of 7mg of oxalates is concerning, which is a little high. To avoid the binding of calcium due to oxalates, you can limit the consumption of arugula to one serving per day.

The side effects of arugula for bearded dragons are as under:

Presence of Sugar in Arugula Leaves:

Arugula leaves contain traces of sugar. If you feed too much arugula, high sugar can affect the teeth of your bearded dragon. So, whenever you want to feed arugula to your dragon, always make a combination with a low-sugar meal.

Arugula Contains Goitrogens:

High levels of goitrogen pose a health risk to your pet dragon’s thyroids, kidney, and liver function. That is the reason, feeding arugula every day is not recommended.

Arugula has some levels of Sulforaphane:

This element has the property to react with calcium. This reaction can cause abdominal cramps and flatulence for a short time.

What things I should consider while feeding Arugula to a bearded dragon?

You need to take care of the following few things while feeding arugula to your bearded dragon:

  • Don’t feed arugula with other sugary foods to your bearded dragon. High sugar can affect the teeth of your bearded dragon.
  • Arugula has very little amount of protein and minerals, so feeding arugula as a staple can cause a deficiency of essential minerals in bearded dragons. Feed the arugula once every week.
  • Mature arugula has a more intense peppery flavor which is not suitable for bearded dragons. Always go for baby arugula.
  • Remember the presence of sulforaphane in arugula. It can react with calcium and cause health issues.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Arugula Stems?

It depends upon the stems, usually, you need to remove the stiff and larger stems as they are difficult to digest for your bearded dragon.

How to Feed Arugula to Bearded Dragon?

Arugula is quite easy to prepare for feeding your bearded dragon. Following are a few easy steps that you can follow to prepare arugula to feed it to your bearded dragon:

  • Get some organic arugula. The arugula available at the shop is also fine.
  • Collect the tender leaves.
  • Wash them thoroughly to remove the dust and chemicals.
  • Remove the stiff and larger stems.
  • Cut it into smaller pieces. Pieces should not be larger than the width between bearded dragon eyes.
  • Mix arugula with other veggies to make a well-balanced diet.
  • Serve the meal and let your bearded dragon enjoy.

Usually, bearded dragon owners mix arugula with greens like collard greens, mustard greens, curly endive, or kale. However, mixing arugula with lettuce is not recommended as it is very low in nutrients. To entice your pet dragon, you can also add some insects like super worms and create a delicious and healthy salad.

Many bearded dragon owners consider arugula as a staple diet due to its ideal calcium-to-phosphorous ratio. But it is recommended to feed your dragon arugula once every week.

What Should I Consider Before Buying Arugula?

You need to consider the following before buying arugula for your bearded dragon:

Storage of Arugula:

Always buy a small amount of arugula, store it in a dry plastic bag, and keep it in the refrigerator. It is highly perishable and purchasing a lot of arugula is not recommended.

When to buy Arugula?

You can find the fresh arugula from June to December. But usually, it is available throughout the year.

Wrapping Up

Your bearded dragon can safely have arugula, once every week. Arugula has an ideal calcium to phosphorous ratio. You need to find some fresh baby arugula for your dragon and prepare it for feeding.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Further Read

Leave a Comment