Greens

[RyanHuff20]

What kind of greens should I feed my beardie? I have tried a few things but he has not had any interest in any greens so far, but he has no problem sucking crickets down

 

[Germ]

Beautiful Dragons Nutrition Chart

 

[ianedward1]

Collard Greens, Dandelions (can be risky if picked from the yard; often sold at organic grocery stores), Endive, Escarole, Bok Choy, Turnip Greens, and Mustard Greens. These are pretty much your go to greens for any reptile species because of their positive Ca : P values, easy access, and overall nutrition. Other greens that are great to provide but often much harder to get are Opuntia Cactus Pads & Fruit, and Grape Leaves. Some that can be fed in low amounts are Spinach, Kale, Bell Peppers, Chicory, Peas, and basically anything that is more like a solid fruit or vegetable rather than a leaf (Zucchini, Cucumber, Apple, etc.).

 

[RyanHuff20]

Maybe it's because I've been trying to feed him spinach /: thank you!

 

[Augie]

You want to stay away from large amounts of spinach; I wouldn't recommend using it at all, as it binds to calcium and what it does bind to uselessly passes out of their system without them benefitting from it. Thus dragons fed spinach over periods of time have a greater chance of developing MBD, a reversible and potentially fatal bone disease.

Sticking to the green stuff and garnishing it with the black stuff on that nutrition list will give your dragon all the greens in their diet they will ever need. Personally, I wish my dragon had a taste for prickly pears as they are 25 cents a pod, but I don't complain too much on his preference for collard greens, as its pretty much just as cheap and I also give it to my crickets and roaches.

 

[Germ]

MBD is generally not reversible, but with proper care, can be stopped from progressing further.

 

[Augie]

Oops! Auto-correct at it again! I swear this iPad makes me say the strangest things sometimes! Half the time I have to go back and edit my posts...

 

[Germ]

lol