Can Bearded Dragons Eat Basil?
Bearded Dragons are omnivores; they need a variety of foods like bugs, veggies, greens, and fruits. Greens are one of the important food for bearded dragons, as they provide many nutrients. Some herbs are beneficial, and some are not for your beardie. Is basil good for bearded dragons? Can bearded dragons eat basil? Yes, bearded dragons can eat basil.
Related: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Red Wigglers?
The nutritional profile of basil
Basil contains many nutrients that are good for your bearded dragon’s health. Basil contains vitamin B6, C, K, E, calcium, phosphorus, water,protein and fiber.
Can bearded dragons eat uncooked basil?
Fresh basil is a good option for your pet. Feed your bearded dragon uncooked basil as it is more beneficial for it.
Can bearded dragons eat cooked basil?
Cooked basil is not suggested for bearded dragons. An uncooked form of basil has more nutrients; by cooking its nutrients get reduced.
How often can bearded dragons eat basil?
Basil is delicious food for bearded dragons. Its higher amounts are unhealthy for your pet. So, bearded dragons can only eat it in limited amounts.
How to feed basil to bearded dragons?
- Buy fresh, organic basil from a pet store.
- Then wash the basil to remove the dirt or any residue.
- After this, trim the basil into pieces. Then serve this to your pet.
- You can also mix this into other veggies to enhance the nutritional benefits for bearded dragons.
Harms of basil for bearded dragons
In limited amounts, basil is safe for bearded dragons. It is a nutritious herb, but feeding your beardie too much can be harmful.
Calcium to phosphorus ratio
It is very important to note the calcium-phosphorus ratio while feeding any food item to your beardie. So give your beardie those foods that have the proper ratio of calcium and phosphorus.
In basil, this ratio is 3:1. Due to higher quantities of calcium, this is fine only in small and limited amounts, but feeding too much basil is unsafe for bearded dragons.
The acidic content of basil
Basil containsmany acids. If you includea lot of acidicfoods in yourbeardie’s diet then it will be very dangerous for your pet.
Therefore, it should be fed only in limited amounts to bearded dragons.
Can baby bearded dragons eat basil?
Yes, the baby bearded dragons can eat basil but you should avoid to feed huge amount of basil to your little pet.
Can bearded dragons eat dried basil?
Dried basil is not recommended for bearded dragons. As dried basil contains concentrated sugar, fiber and other ingredients that are heavy for the bearded dragons to digest. So, it is better to stay away from itsdried form and feed your little beardie fresh organic basil to maintain its good health.
Other herbs that bearded dragons can eat:
If you don’t want to feed your bearded dragon’s basil, some other herbs are safe for bearded dragons.
Herbs are tasty meal for bearded dragons on occasions. You can also feed your bearded dragon following herbs.
- Rosemary
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Sage
- Thyme
- Lavender
- Fennel
All these herbs are nutritious but feed your pet these plants only in limited amounts.
Summary
Bearded dragons can eat basil as it is a nutritious herb. The nutrients in the basil improve the bearded dragon’s health and kidney functions. It also contains antitoxins beneficial for bearded dragons. There are also some risks associated with this. Therefore, you should avoid feeding your little pet too much.
