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Can Bearded Dragons Eat Celery? Facts and FAQs

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Celery is a healthy vegetable that is commonly eaten as a healthy snack and also tastes great in soup, salad, or on its own. But can bearded dragons eat celery? Is celery good for bearded dragons? What are the benefits and side effects of celery for bearded dragons?

In this article, the following questions will be answered:

Celery And Bearded Dragons – FAQs

What Is The Nutritional Profile Of Celery?

Raw celery per 100-gram serving offers the following nutrition to bearded dragons:

  • Calories:14Cal
  • Water Content: 95.43g
  • Sugars: 1.34g
  • Calcium: 40mg
  • Phosphorus: 24mg
  • Vitamin A: IU449IU
  • Vitamin C: 3.1mg
  • Oxalates: 7mg
  • Ca-to-P Ratio: 1.7:1

Can A Bearded Dragon Eat Celery?

The short answer is:

  • Yes, bearded dragons can eat celery.
  • No, bearded dragons can’t eat celery daily, as a staple diet.

Celery has a healthy calcium to phosphorous ratio and has many nutritional values including anti-inflammatory properties, etc. That’s why, bearded dragons can eat celery. But how many celery bearded dragons can eat?

How Often Bearded Dragons Can Eat Celery?

Bearded dragons can eat celery in moderation due to its high water content and relatively low nutritional value. Typically,

Bearded Dragons can eat a couple of very small pieces of celery once a week.

Although celery is loaded with nutrients, but it provides only a few useful nutrients to pet lizards, making it a poor diet that doesn’t fulfill the dietary needs of a bearded dragon.

What Are The Benefits Of Celery For Bearded Dragons?

The next question comes to mind: why can bearded dragons have celery? Is it beneficial for bearded dragons? The answer is simple, beardie love this delicious, crunchy snack, and it also offers many nutritional advantages. The benefits and pros of feeding celery to bearded dragons are as follows:

Antioxidants And Flavonoids:

They play an important role in the bearded dragon’s health and promote its heart health and reduce inflammation.

Beta Carotene And Vitamin C:

Celery contains beta carotene and Vitamin C and like humans, it benefits your dragon’s immune system, reproduction, vision, and growth.

Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio:

Calcium plays an important role in bearded dragon’s health and overall well-being. On the other hand, phosphorous is dangerous for bearded dragons as it binds with calcium and stops its absorption in bearded dragon’s bloodstreams, causing calcium deficiency which can lead to Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD).

Like spinach, celery also has a good calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, which means it has more calcium than phosphorus recommended for bearded dragons.

The calcium to phosphorous ratio of celery leaves is 1.7:1.

Due to the presence of a high amount of calcium in celery, it is recommended to add it to your dragon’s diet.

Celery Has a High Water Content:

Celery is made of 95% of water which hydrates your dragon. In the wild, bearded dragons take water from the foods that they eat, so celery fulfills their water needs naturally.

Celery Has a Good Fiber Content:

Fiber is a natural part of the bearded dragon’s diet. It helps your dragon to maintain a strong, smooth, running digestive system.

Celery Has Low Sugar Content:

Bearded dragons are generally folivores, which means they eat more plants in the wild as compared to fruits. So, sugar is not a natural part of their diet. Feeding a high-sugar diet can cause many health issues for bearded dragons.

Celery contains low sugar content as it has only 1.6% of sugar. So, adding celery to a dragon’s diet is safe.

Why Can’t Bearded Dragons Have Celery All the Time?

With all the above-mentioned benefits, why can’t dragons eat celery as a staple diet? Are there any side effects or health concerns of feeding celery to bearded dragons? Unfortunately, celery isn’t perfect and has some side effects for bearded dragons. The health concerns of celery for bearded dragons are as under:

Celery Contains Many Oxalates:

The major drawback of celery for bearded dragons is that they are high in oxalates. Like phosphorous, oxalates also bind with calcium and prevent its absorption in bearded dragon’s bloodstreams, causing calcium deficiency which can lead to many health issues, even metabolic bone disease (MBD).

Celery is high in oxalates which is not good for bearded dragons.

Oxalates can also cause kidney stones in bearded dragons. If you are feeding any diet that is high in oxalates or phosphorous, it is recommended to spray it with calcium powder so that it may not cause calcium deficiency.

Celery Is Low in Nutrients:

As already mentioned, celery is 95% water and only 5% nutrients, so it offers a very small amount of nutrients to your bearded dragon. You need to avoid feeding too much celery to your dragon as it will cause essential nutrient deficiency in your pet dragon.

Celery Contains a Lot of Water:

Although the high water content of celery hydrates your beardie, but frequently feeding celery to a pet dragon can cause overhydration which will further cause many health issues such as diarrhea or other digestive issues. This diarrhea will cause dehydration which is dangerous for bearded dragons.

Due to all these health concerns, celery is not recommended as a staple diet, instead, bearded dragons can eat celery in moderation.

Do Bearded Dragons Like Celery?

This can vary from dragon to dragon. Your bearded dragon might like it or not. It’s best to offer celery in moderation to your dragon and gauge beardie’s reaction. If he likes it, you can offer him more.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Celery Raw?

If your bearded dragon is celery, serving the raw celery is better as it is more nutritious.

Yes, Bearded dragons can eat raw celery.

Like most vegetables, celery also contains temperature-sensitive nutrients that will be lost if cooked or frozen. These nutrients can’t stand temperature changes. So, it’s best to serve raw celery to your lizard.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Celery Leaves?

Celery leaves contain fiber, calcium, and vitamin E which promote digestion, cells, and healthy bones. But can bearded dragons eat celery leaves?

Yes, like celery stalk, bearded dragons can eat celery leaves.

Celery leaves are safe for bearded dragons and they can eat them in the same frequency. To serve the celery leaves you need to:

  • Wash them thoroughly to remove dust and chemicals.
  • Remove stiff stems as they pose a choking hazard.
  • Chop them into smaller pieces to make it easier for your pet dragon to eat.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Celery Sticks?

Many bearded dragons enjoy eating crunchy celery sticks. Chop the celery stalk into smaller pieces as they contain long fibers that can pose a choking hazard to bearded dragons.

Yes, Bearded dragons can eat celery sticks in moderation.

While feeding the celery sticks, always take care of quantity and frequency, and remember, moderation is the key.

Can Baby Bearded Dragons Eat Celery?

Yes, baby bearded dragons can eat celery but in very small amounts as they are less resistant to the effects of phosphorous or oxalates as compared to adult bearded dragons.

Baby bearded dragons can eat celery once a month.

Celery is also less in nutrients so frequently feeding celery to your baby bearded dragons is not recommended.

How Can Bearded Dragons Eat Celery?

Like most veggies, you need to prepare celery so that your bearded dragon can easily eat it and can get maximum out of it. Follow these steps to prepare raw celery for your pet lizard:

  • Choose raw, organic celery as it has more nutrients and is pesticide-free.
  • Thoroughly wash celery leaves and stalks to remove dust and chemicals.
  • Remove all the celery leaves and stalks which are rotten.
  • Chop the celery leaves and stalks into extra small bits to avoid the risk of choking.
  • Add the celery to other fruits and vegetables to make a balanced salad.
  • Sprinkle calcium and vitamin powder.
  • Serve the salad to your pet dragon.

What Other Vegetables Can Bearded Dragons Eat With Celery?

To make a healthy salad, you can mix celery with the following vegetables:

If you have any questions or would like to give feedback, please feel free to contact us.

Celery and Bearded Dragons – FAQs

Can bearded dragons eat celery seeds?

No, bearded dragons can’t eat celery seeds as they are toxic and can cause digestive issues.

Can I feed cooked celery to my bearded dragon?

Cooked celery is low in nutrients, so it’s best to serve raw celery.

How much celery can a bearded dragon eat at one time?

An adult bearded dragon can eat only a small piece, about the size of the dragon’s head.

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