Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cabbage?

Are you searching for a green that is loaded bursting with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants? One should go for some cabbage! Which of the four main varieties, namely red, green, savoy, and napa cabbages, are safe for bearded dragons? Let’s have a look at the finer details.

Do Bearded Dragons love eating cabbage?

Yes, bearded dragons love eating cabbages. Cabbages are an excellent addition to the bearded dragon’s diet and provide vitamins, minerals, anti-inflammatory compounds, and antioxidants. Cabbage is one of the most common vegetables which can be found in any household. It provides plenty of leafy and nutritious greens to the bearded dragon’s diet. One must ensure that the cabbage should be cut in small sizes so that the bearded dragon can eat it without choking. 

Additionally, the bearded dragons prefer eating raw cabbages instead of cooked variety. The ideal timeframe to add cabbage to your dragon’s diet is once a week. The quantity of cabbage may vary depending on the presence of other goitrogenic food in the diet. Consider adding cabbages to salads and top it with roaches.

Are Cabbages Good For Bearded Dragons?

• Napa cabbage or Chinese cabbage has a sweeter taste and thinner leaves as compared to other cabbages. It is an excellent source of Vitamin A and C, fiber, and calcium. The amount of calcium is more than phosphorus, which makes it safe. The frequency of Napa cabbage in your pet dragon’s diet should be once a week.
• Savoy cabbage with thin leaves and crisp texture is not suitable for bearded dragons as it is fairly acidic and can cause digestive and stomach problems. It also has more phosphorus than calcium, thus extending the risk of having metabolic bone disease (MBD). High Vitamin A content in Savoy cabbage can cause energy loss, weight loss, dehydration, and swelling. So, a little Savoy cabbage every alternate week should be perfectly fine, but not more than that.
• Green cabbage is similar but less nutritious than the red variety. It has less calcium, fiber, potassium, iron, and Vitamin C as compared with red cabbage. On the brighter side, the calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:1 and low content of fat, oxalates, and sugar makes it a healthier choice.
• Red cabbage is the most nutritious option for bearded dragons, as it contains lots of fiber, which promotes healthy digestion. Vitamin C enhances the immune system, vision, reproduction, and growth. Antioxidants prevent inflammation while the Manganese aids in metabolism. The presence of potassium regulates blood pressure while the Magnesium assists in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.

Nutritional Value of Cabbages

The following table shows the nutritional value per 100 grams of cabbage. 

How to Feed Cabbages?  

All four varieties of cabbages can be served raw. Since wilted cabbage has less fiber, so ensure that only fresh cabbage is served. The fiber content is good for the digestion, regulation of cholesterol, heart, and blood pressure. One just has to follow the below mentioned easy steps before serving the leafy green to the bearded dragons. 

• Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage and wash it thoroughly under tap water.
• Few of the inner leaves need to be separated for the bearded dragon.
• Since the cabbage stalk is very hard and difficult to digest, it should not be fed. Only the leaves should be given to the bearded dragon.
• The cabbage leaves should be finely chopped into very small pieces.
• Serve them in their bowl and watch them gorge on it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which type of cabbage is the healthiest for a bearded dragon?

Now that it is established that cabbage is a safe and healthy option to consume, it is important to explore the most common varieties of cabbage.

There are 5 cabbage varieties that can be safely added to the bearded dragon’s diet in balanced quantities. The list includes Bok Choy, Napa, Red, Green, and Savoy. The nutrient profile of all these cabbage varieties is quite similar, except that calcium and phosphorus levels vary.

Bok choy cabbage among this list, is easily the best option to feed to your bearded dragon as it is a rich source of calcium with 105mg per 100g. Napa cabbage takes the second place as it offers a decent amount of calcium required for a bearded dragon. On the other hand, green cabbage and red cabbage do not contain as much calcium as the other members. 

Lastly, savoy cabbage contains more phosphorus than calcium, which isn’t a good thing for most bearded dragons because phosphorus has been seen to stop calcium from being absorbed.

Can bearded dragons eat raw cabbage?

Yes, cabbage can be served to bearded dragon raw. Serving raw is the recommended way to serve most greens and veggies to the bearded dragon. The primary reason is that raw greens and veggies hold much more of their nutrients than the cooked version. 

Essential nutrients, such as calcium, are decreased during the cooking process. So, as long as the food is easy enough for your bearded dragon to eat – always try serving it raw.

Can bearded dragons eat cooked cabbage?

Technically, bearded dragons can eat cooked cabbage, but cooking reduces the nutrients. Hence, it is recommended that cooked cabbage should be avoided. Cooking adds an unnecessary extra step and as it only decreases the nutrient content of the cabbage.

The nutrient composition in a cooked napa cabbage is 29mg of calcium per 100, whereas raw napa cabbage has 77mg of calcium per 100g.

Can bearded dragons eat cabbage leaves?

Bearded dragons can safely eat cabbage leaves. Cabbage leaves are very healthy and should be fed to bearded dragons in large quantities. Different cabbage varieties will have different types of leaves, and it is recommended that they be thoroughly washed to remove dirt, ensuring the leaves are clean and dirt-free.

Can bearded dragons eat cabbage stalks in addition to the cabbage leaves?

When it comes to the core of the cabbage or the stalk, it is recommended that cabbage stalk should not be offered to the bearded dragon.

The cabbage stalk is quite tough and not easy for a bearded dragon to chew on and break down. This could result in the cabbage stalk to cause some digestive issues to the reptile. 

Lastly, there are chances that the hand stalk could cause choking the reptile, and hence it is advisable to stick to the main part, i.e. the leaf of the cabbage.

How much cabbage should be fed to a bearded dragon?

The amount of cabbage offered to the bearded dragons solely depends on the variety of cabbage and how healthy it is – meaning how much calcium it offers. Bok choy cabbage containing high calcium levels should be added in equal portions in the salad bowl together with other greens like mustard greens and dandelion greens.

Other varieties that are less calcium dense should only be half the portion size. This is due to the fact the bearded dragon should fill up on greens and veggies that are higher in calcium as it is critical to their health.

How often cabbage should be fed to a bearded dragon?

Now that it is established that cabbage is safe for bearded dragons to eat, it is recommended that cabbage should be fed to your bearded dragon once a week as a general rule of thumb.

Bok choy can be offered more frequently as this is considered extremely healthy for bearded dragons due to its high levels of calcium. Some experts believe that bok choy should form part of the bearded dragon’s daily diet.

Savoy cabbage is recommended to be offered around once a month due to poor calcium to phosphorus levels. As a general rule of thumb for cabbage – the better its calcium to phosphorus ratio – the more often it can be added to the dragon’s diet.