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Bearded dragons are popular pets with a varied diet. Parsley is a common herb and is found in many homes, often growing on the window or in the garden. It’s natural to wonder if it’s okay to give your pet dragon one sprig of this nutritious herb. The answer is yes; your bearded dragon can eat parsley, but there are concerns about giving them too much, so join us while we look at the pros and cons of feeding parsley to your pet.
The Benefits of Parsley
Parsley offers several benefits for bearded dragons. Vegetables should make up a considerable bulk of a bearded dragon’s diet, particularly if they are an adult. Parsley is a readily available, safe-to-consume vegetable that can be a fantastic addition to your bearded dragon’s salad mix.
- Water: 87.71 grams (g)
- Carbohydrates: 6.33 g
- Protein: 2.97 g
- Fat: 0.79 g
- Fiber: 3.3 g
- Calcium: 138 milligrams (mg)
- Phosphorus: 58 mg
- Beta Carotene (converts to vitamin A): 5054 micrograms (µg)
The chief benefit of parsley is that it contains an excellent ratio of calcium to phosphorus. Healthy adult bearded dragons require calcium/phosphorus ratios of 1.5:1 to 2:1 (roughly twice as much calcium as phosphorus).
Parsley has an excellent calcium-to-phosphorus ratio at 3.2:1, with very few vegetables boasting better. The higher ratio makes parsley particularly desirable for breeding females, as their calcium requirements are higher.
Potential Risks of Parsley
While most experts consider parsley a suitable food for the bearded dragon, you need to watch out for naturally occurring compounds called oxalates in parsley.
Oxalates
Oxalates, sometimes referred to as oxalic acid, are found in many foods, especially greens. They serve two purposes for the plants: regulating their internal mineral content and helping defend against predators.
Parsley contains more oxalates than many other foods that people commonly give to bearded dragons:
| Food | Oxalates per 100 gram (mg) |
| Parsley | 1.70 |
| Spinach | 0.97 |
| Chives | 1.48 |
| Carrot | 0.50 |
| Asparagus | 0.13 |
Oxalates are a considerable drawback for foods high in calcium (which bearded dragons need), such as parsley. Within the body, oxalates bind to minerals like calcium in the kidneys and can form kidney stones. The deprivation of calcium may also lead to metabolic bone disease. The risk is considerably higher in juveniles, but it can also happen in adult bearded dragons.
However, it is worth noting that this risk is only a possibility if your bearded dragon is fed nothing but parsley as their sole source of vegetables for a prolonged period. The risk of metabolic bone disease is substantially reduced if your bearded dragon consumes a healthy diet with various safe-to-consume vegetables. For the most part, when portioned correctly, parsley is an acceptable vegetable for bearded dragons.
How Can I Feed Parsley to My Bearded Dragon?
- The best way to feed your bearded dragon is to use fresh parsley that is either grown in your home or purchased.
- Wash the parsley thoroughly to remove any chemical residue or pesticides.
- Chop it into fine pieces.
- Add it to a salad of other greens and fruit.
As far as frequency is concerned, when portioned properly and served as a part of a salad, a sprig or two of parsley can be served daily to healthy adult bearded dragons.
Final Thoughts
Parsley is safe for bearded dragons to consume and can be incorporated into their diet regularly. It has several nutritional benefits, including an excellent calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.
The presence of oxalates in parsley is concerning, and extra precaution should be taken to ensure that it isn’t the sole vegetable offered to your bearded dragon. Their diet should be high in variety and incorporate several vegetables, safe fruits, and prey.
If you’re in doubt about your bearded dragon’s nutritional welfare, talk to your veterinarian.
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Featured Image Credit: restyledliving, Pixabay
