ᐅ Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bok Choy?

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Bok Choy, The Chinese Cabbage For Bearded Dragons.

Can bearded dragons eat bok choy? Bok choy, also known as Chinese cabbage, is safe for bearded dragons in moderation. It has a variety of vitamins, minerals, and decent low water content. We are not giving the green light to feed your bearded dragon bok choy all the time.

In this post, we will look at the benefits, risks, nutritional value, and anything else bok choy has to offer.

Nutritional Value of Bok Choy

The easiest way to check and see if bearded dragons can feed bok choy is by looking at the nutritional profile.

Nutritional Information For Bok Choy Per 100g

Nutrition Name	Amount
Water	95.32 g
Energy	13 kcal
Protein	1.5 g
Total lipid (fat)	0.2 g
Carbohydrate, by difference	2.18 g
Fiber	1 g
Sugars	1.18 g
Calcium	105 mg
Iron	0.8 mg
Phosphorus	37 mg
Sodium	65 mg
Potassium	252 mg
Vitamin C	45 mg
Vitamin D (D2+3)	0 ug
Vitamin B6	0.194 mg
Vitamin A RAE	223 ug
Vitamin A IU	4468 ug
Beta Carotene	2681 ug
Vitamin E	0.09 mg
Vitamin K	45.5 ug

Benefits Of Feeding Bok Choy To Your Bearded Dragon

Bok Choy is exceptionally nutritious for bearded dragons. Bok Choy is no different than other leafy greens. Let’s look at the beneficial vitamins and minerals bok choy has to offer.

Calcium

Bok Choy is an excellent source of calcium which is a vital mineral to strengthen your bearded dragon’s bones. Feeding your bearded dragon bok choy, they will be less prone to bone fractures and metabolic bone disease. This illness can leave your bearded dragon in much pain and make their movement harder.

Phosphorus

Bok choy has just enough phosphorus for your bearded dragon’s needs. It contains about two times less phosphorus than calcium, an excellent ratio. Too much phosphorus would inhibit calcium absorption. Bok choy fulfills your dragon’s requirements in both these minerals.

Vitamin C

The high volume of vitamin C in bok choy help boost your beardie’s immune system. When their immune system is healthy, they will be less prone to become sick. Food high in vitamin C will help them to recover from illness quickly.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A promotes better eyesight, healthy skin, and a strong immune system. It helps to break down unwanted materials in the body. There is a slight downside to Vitamin A. We will discuss the downside under health concerns, so keep reading.

Potassium

The potassium in bok choy helps regulate blood pressure and the nervous system. It also helps keep your beardie’s muscles working and retain proper water retention.

Fat And Sugar

We want to point out that bok choy is low in fat and sugar, which is a good thing. Eating fatty and sweet food makes bearded dragons obese and leads to many health problems.

Health Concerns Of Bok Choy In Bearded Dragon’s Diet

We’ve seen the benefits of feeding bok choy to your bearded dragon, and now we must look at the downsides.

Goitrogens

The biggest downside of feeding bok choy to your bearded dragon is its high goitered content.

Goitrogens are compounds found in plants worldwide. If ingested, it can cause problems with your beardie’s thyroid gland. This issue usually occurs during overconsumption of goitrogen.

Bok choy has large amounts of goitrogens. It does not take too much to overdose.

Vitamin A Toxicity

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is only dissolvable in fat and can’t be passed out through waste. It sits in the fat cell until needed.

Over time vitamin A can build up and cause Vitamin A toxicity. It is called hypervitaminosis A.

When your pet dragon consumes too much Vitamin A, it can cause lethargy and pain. It can only be diagnosed through a blood test to detect elevated vitamin A levels.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat The White Part Of Bok Choy?

It is difficult to decide which part of bok choy to feed your bearded dragon. Some dragons eat the green leaves, while others prefer the white pieces. Most bearded dragons, however, like the green leafy parts. It all depends on your bearded pet’s choice.

Can Baby Bearded Dragons Eat Bok Choy?

Baby bearded dragons can eat bok choy but only in small amounts. While most leafy greens are great for bearded dragons, bok choy isn’t one of them.

The leafy greens contain a high amount of goitrogens and vitamin A. These can be extremely harmful to your bearded dragon.

There are much better leafy greens to feed your baby beardies, such as collard greens and parsley. You can feed your beardie these vegetables 3 times a week or more.

Baby bearded dragons grow at a very fast rate, and therefore their diet should consist of a diet high in protein. Insects such as grasshoppers can be a staple diet for baby beardies.

How Often Can You Feed Bok Choy To Bearded Dragons?

You can give bok choy to your bearded on occasion or up to three times a week. Although the vegetable contains many essential nutrients for your pet lizard, it has high amounts of Vitamin A and Goitrogens. Too much of these in your bearded dragon’s diet can be harmful and even cause death.

We recommend that you give your bearded dragon bok choy once or twice a week to stay on the safe side.

Prepare Bok Choy For Your Bearded Dragons

Serving Bok Choy to your bearded dragon doesn’t require a lot of preparation.

Go For Organic Where Possible

Like most plants in modern agriculture, bok choy is ridden with pesticides. Bearded dragons do not handle these toxins well, and ingesting many of them will lead to health issues. If you care for the well-being of your beardie, spend a bit more on organic bok choy.

Wash It Thoroughly

Make sure you give the bok choy for your beardie a thorough wash. You would not know what the vegetable was in contact with and what accumulated on the surface.

Raw Bok Choy Is Best

There is no need to cook bok choy before serving it. We advise against cooking it. The high temperatures kill most of the nutrients in this vegetable, and your bearded dragon won’t get much of it. This is not a general rule, as some greens require cooking before serving.

Cut Into Pieces

The big bok choy leaves are difficult for your bearded dragon to eat. Make it easier by cutting it up into smaller pieces.

Summary

Now you know whether bearded dragons can eat bok choy and if it is safe or not? You also got an idea of how to offer bok choy ideally. You can offer bok choy to your bearded dragon as a staple food but in moderation – only 2 or 3 times a week.

Bearded dragons can eat raw or cooked bok choy in moderation. We suggest you include collard greens and dandelions in your beardie’s diet.

Always remember to read about any new food you want to introduce to your bearded dragon’s diet. Even the safest food might have risks when fed to bearded dragons.

Continue to read our main article “What do Bearded Dragons Eat?” for all the ins and outs on general diet questions, and get a further detailed breakdown of other popular foods in the articles below: