Guide - Guides

Do you own one of these smart bearded dragon or have you seen one at you field or zoo and even wonder what they actually eat? But when it comes to other foods such as onions, you may need to pay a little bit of attention. So, can bearded Dragon Eat Onions? The simple answer is No. Never feed bearded dragon with (cooked or raw). Onions are laced with high levels of acids and have high calcium to phosphorous ratio. These components cause indigestion problems along the delicate alimentary canal of Bearded Dragon. Details: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Onions? 1. Toxic to their digestive system Onions (scientific name Allium cepa) usually contain toxic substance which when eaten by Bearded Dragon, it toxifies the alimentary canal leading to digestion problems such as incomplete digestion, vomiting and burning sensation. You will notice mixed reaction when you feed your beard dragon with onions due to colorless steam produced by fleshly cut onions. These steam emissions from onions usually make your pet bearded dragon to even shed tears (though they don’t cry like human beings do). Though scientific research has been done, it has not been able to establish the exact chemical that cause tears and itching sensation on bearded dragon. The onion leaves produces slippery fluid between leaf layers, which makes it unpleasant meal for your bearded dragon. The green leafy onions have hollow inner sections that incubate gas, which causes vomiting to your bearded dragon when eaten. 2. High Acidity level Onions have high level of acid content, which cause hurt burn and throat discomfort to your bearded dragon when eaten. The Folate (Folic Acid) & ascorbic acid portions found in onions form a high pH environment in chyme within the stomach thus inhibiting normal working of digestive enzymes (high acid levels inactivates the digestive enzymes). Raw onions when eaten causes burning sensation (due to acid content) on the tongue and inner lining of Bearded dragon’s mouth. This feeling makes the pet get agitated or angry leading to loss of appetite and they can't mate. The red onions (normally fed to bearded dragons most – have white fleshy interior leaves and are sweet) have compound that affect the red blood cells of your bearded dragon leading to low cell count. 3. Unbalance Nutrition components (Calcium to Phosphorous ratio). Onions have unbalance calcium to phosphorous ratio. For every 1gram of calcium, there is 2 grams of phosphorous in a given onion species. This on itself cause ion imbalance in the body. High level of phosphorous as compared to calcium is not ideal for Bearded Dragon Survival. Excess or phosphorous will inhibit calcium intake leading adrenal or renal disorder. On the other hand, excess or calcium within the body may not be healthy for your bearded dragon (this may result from inhibition caused by the phosphorous within the bones or kidneys). Proper calcium to phosphorous ratio for your bearded dragon to achieve healthy life is 2 grams of calcium for every gram of phosphorous or 1:1 ratio. This will ensure a balance calcium intake and phosphorous removal from the bones and thus preventing any possible disorder. Onion has other nutritional components that may be of nutritional value for your bearded dragon. For every 100 grams of onions sliced for analysis, the following nutritional components will be found: Calcium – 23 milligrams , Phosphorus – 29 milligrams & Potassium – 146 milligrams Iron – 0.21 milligrams & Magnesium – 10 milligrams Protein – 1.1 gram, Sugars – 4.24 grams & Carbohydrates – 9.34 grams Folate (Folic Acid) – 19 micrograms & Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) – 7.4 milligrams Pantothenic Acid (B5) – 0.123 milligrams & Niacin (B3) – 0.116 milligrams By observation, it is clear that the phosphorous (written in bold) levels in sample is far much high as compared to calcium. In addition, the acidity level in different onion nutritional components (written in italic) are far much high too. This means that onions are not suitable for bearded dragon at whatever case. Rule and Guidelines to Follow When Feeding Your Bearded Dragon. 1. Any plant feeds should be fresh, chopped and thoroughly washed before feeding your bearded dragon. Water provides added nutrition to your beaded dragon. 2. Never feed your bearded dragons with food pieces that are larger than the space between the eyes (this cause chocking while feeding). 3. Let your bearded dragon hunt for food (insects) introduced in the cage to enable it to exercise while moving. 4. Always ensure that you feed you bearded dragon from a dish to prevent it from direct swallowing, which may cause impaction leading to death or health complications. 5. Never leave excess food in the cage after feeding your bearded dragon - including egg diet. This makes it less active or docile since most of them never stop eating. 6. It is always advisable to offer plant feed mixed with insects to boost the nutrients acquired per feed. 7. Fruits should be peeled and chopped when feeding your bearded dragon. 8. Never entrust your kids to feed your bearded dragon in your absence. Conclusions Bearded Dragon do not eat onions in any form (raw or cook). Though some owners mix onions with other feeds, this is not right since onions contain toxic substance, acids and high calcium to phosphorous ratio, which cause digestion problems. It is therefore advisable to avoid giving your pet bearded dragon any onion species. Also, follow the feeding guidelines discussed above to ensure a healthy life for your pet bearded dragon.