Yes, bearded dragons can consume cauliflower but only occasionally and limited to a small amount.
While some foods tend to be healthy for humans, it does not necessarily mean that they are a good choice for your beardie.
The nutritional needs of a bearded dragon are different from our own. For cauliflower, bearded dragons can eat it but occasionally.
What are the concerns of feeding a bearded dragon cauliflower
There is a reason why cauliflower is recommended to be consumed occasionally. This is because it offers unbalanced or low levels of nutrients required by beardies to be healthy.
Here are some of the concerns raised when it comes to consumption of cauliflower by beardies;
The goitrogens levels in cauliflower are high and can alter thyroid function if taken in excess
The phosphorus and calcium ratio in cauliflower is poor.
Normally, phosphorus binds to calcium and prevents it from being absorbed into the body. You would want a diet that has more calcium than phosphorus.
Benefits of feeding cauliflower to bearded dragons
Although cauliflower has nutrients that are not so beneficial to the dragons, some of the nutrients, minerals, and vitamins are favorable too.
Like most vegetables, cauliflower is low in sugar and fat, vital for bearded dragons.
It provides moderate fibre levels, which helps in functions such as digestion
It contains vitamin C and potassium, which are essential for the well-being of the bearded dragon. Vitamin C, for instance, helps in maintaining the teeth and bones and repairing tissues.
Potassium is responsible for other vital functions of the body
How much cauliflower can I offer a bearded dragon
The recommended amount to feed a bearded dragon is between 6-10g. Give the cauliflower leaves in the same amount as a salad or greens.
Mix it with other nutritious greens. Also, ensure that you serve the cauliflower to the dragon when it is raw.
This is because raw cauliflower is more nutritious than when it is boiled.
However, if the cauliflower is hard for the bearded dragon, boil it partially enough to make it soft.
Summary
To sum up, individuals who own bearded dragons will always want to know what foods are safe to feed to the bearded dragons.
Fortunately, there are different kinds of foods that dragons can consume, and cauliflower is one of them.
Cauliflower leaves and heads are suitable for bearded dragons but in small quantities. Cauliflower leaves are much healthier.
These greens contain high calcium and a low ratio of phosphorus which is ideal for consumption.
Also, in terms of what part of the cauliflower is suitable, always use the leaves than the head because it is more nutritious, has low goitrogens, and is perfect for bearded dragons.
In our next article we answer the question can bearded dragons eat cranberries?
Related Posts:
Can bearded dragons eat zinnias?
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Clover? (Yep! Here’s What To Do)
My name is Brad and I am the main editor of BeardieZilla.com.
The only goal of this site is quite simply to be able to help you. To help you by the means of my experiment, of the relation which I maintain with my bearded dragon as well as some of my knowledge about beardies.
I hope that you will find answers to some of your most pressing questions here.
Thank you for stopping by and enjoy the blog!
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