Kale are a significant source of vitamin A precursor, which is beta carotene. Can bearded dragons eat kale everyday? No, beardies cannot eat kale daily.
Indeed, they contain high goitrogen [1] levels which can impact the health of your beardie. Therefore we recommend feeding your dragon with kales moderately such as two times a week. You should serve them in small quatities.
Reasons why you should feed kales to your bearded dragons
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Contains calcium
It is safe for bearded dragons to consume kale. Indeed they are known as excellent sources of calcium required by both young and adult beardies.
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Low oxalic acid and high iodine levels
Kale have low oxalic acid and high iodine levels that normally compensate for the iodine loss.
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They contain low calories or sugars.
Like most greens and veggies, kale contain low levels of calories.
This is good news given that bearded dragons can also suffer from various health conditions related to the consumption of sugars.
This include tooth decay, obesity, or even digestion problems.
Why are kales safe for bearded dragons even though they contain phosphorus?
Kales contain nutrients such as sodium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals. However, they also contain a high amount of calcium compared to the level of phosphorus.
The calcium to phosphorus ratio is one of the key factors used to assess if kales are safe for both young and adult dragons.
Effects of giving too much kale to your bearded dragons
Although kales are essential in your pet’s diet, they are not supposed to be eaten on a regular basis.
Indeed, they contain oxalic acid, which in large amounts can hurt your beardie’s health.
When more oxalates accumulate in the bearded dragon’s system, it prevents the absorption of calcium.
Removing calcium from the body of the bearded dragon is quite dangerous, especially if it is still young, because it affects the formation of its bones.
Therefore, to avoid overfeeding your bearded dragons with kales, use the recommended amount of kales to give is approximately twenty grams.
How to feed Beardies with Kale
For starters, ensure that your kales are fresh and washed thoroughly.
Chop them into small pieces and dust them with multivitamins or calcium.
Summary
No you cannot feed your bearded dragon with kale everyday. An accotional treat is acceptable.
We advisable you to experiment with a variety of kales for your beardie to get acquianted with different flavors.
These kales include; curly kale, Redbor kale, dinosaur kale, or even Russian kale. With time, you will get to learn which of the kales your dragon likes most.
You may also like Can bearded dragons eat jade plants?
Recommended reading
Can bearded dragons eat upland cress?
Can bearded dragons eat succulents?
Resources
[1] goitrogen
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/veterinary-science-and-veterinary-medicine/goitrogen
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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