Can Bearded Dragons Eat Watercress? | Safe And Nutritious? 2024

Bearded dragons love vegetables and fruits and that’s just as well because these food items along with insects make up their primary diet. There are numerous vegetables that may be good for us but they do not suit the metabolism and dietary needs of a bearded dragon. Can bearded dragons eat watercress? You will have to understand what is in the vegetable, to see if your pet can have it.

Before we dive into the details of the nutritional value of this vegetable and the dietary needs of the dragon, the simple observation will have to be that bearded dragons rely on protein, calcium, and good amounts of vitamins and minerals. Some of these minerals are not suitable and if a vegetable has too much of them, they become a ‘no’ for bearded dragons.

Bearded Dragons And Watercress

Watercress is an excellent vegetable for bearded dragons and they can eat it regularly. Watercress is an aquatic vegetable, which means that it grows in water. This vegetable belongs to the cabbage family and the taste of this vegetable is not only refreshing but also gives consumers a boost of vitamins.

Watercress is a crunchy form of cabbage that tastes different and is similar to collard greens or garden cress. This vegetable is rich in Vitamins A and C, and minerals such as calcium, iron, and folic acid! You can feed this vegetable to your bearded dragon as it has a sufficient amount of calcium and can fulfill the vitamin requirement of your bearded dragon pet. Moreover, you may also like Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cucumber.

Understanding The Needs Of Pets

You can understand the needs of your pets by knowing their nature, their body types, and how they function. Bearded dragons are cold-blooded animals that live in deserts. While their metabolism is slow due to their cold-bloodedness, their bodies do not require a lot of water because they are desert animals! Furthermore, like all of us, bearded dragons would love any fruit or vegetable that they think has a nice taste.

While calcium is one of the primary nutrients for your pet dragon, phosphorus is like their kryptonite! These dragons live on calcium because their bones are very weak and if they do not get a constant supply of calcium, they can become weak and eventually immobile.

You must feed your bearded dragon some vegetables that have a high calcium content so that their calcium requirements are always fulfilled. When you feed them vegetables and fruits with low calcium content they can develop the metabolic bone disease in bearded dragons, which deteriorates the bone structure until they become soft and eventually fail to support the muscle mass.

Advantages Of Watercress For Bearded Dragons

The most advantageous vegetables for bearded dragons are the ones that offer enough calcium, fiber, and protein. Watercress has all of these things, and a high amount of calcium is preferable! However, there are numerous other benefits:

• Good for calcium
• Great in taste
• Good for gut loading
• Easy for owners to cut and serve
• Many minerals and vitamins in this vegetable

How To Feed Watercress To Bearded Dragons

Whatever you serve the bearded dragon has to be in such a small size that they can easily swallow it. When the veggies are cut up in big sizes, they are hard to chew and swallow, which leads to the dragon developing impaction. Impaction is the clogging of the large intestine due to semi-solid food getting stuck.

You can ensure that impaction does not happen because of the big chunks of vegetables. Cut the watercress, or even better, shred it so that the narrow slivers can be swallowed easily. Another thing that you need to ensure is that the watercress is not stored for long because it rots early. You would always want to ensure that your dragon eats only fresh, and therefore, you must keep the watercress refrigerated and if it is not consumed within five days, throw it out. Also, find out if you can Feed Ham To Bearded Dragons.

How Often To Give Watercress

You can give your bearded dragon watercress to eat every day. This vegetable has all the right components that suit the bearded dragon and will keep them nutritionally fulfilled. It is best to give your dragon pet a few vegetables mixed together for daily consumption. Watercress can be shredded and made a part of this salad that you serve every day.

Watercress has a high water content so you can serve as much as 10grams of this vegetable, or if you have a pet that has a heavy appetite, you can give them as much as 25grams of watercress, which they will keep nibbling all day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will watercress be acceptable as everyday food?

Watercress is an excellent vegetable for bearded dragons and you can include it in their daily diet. It has a high water content, due to which you will have to keep it refrigerated and ensure that it is eaten within a few hours of serving so that it does not wilt. Once it does, your dragon pet will not eat it.

What kind of other vegetables can be given with watercress?

You can add mustard greens, collard greens, cabbage, squash, and even capsicum to the daily meal for your bearded dragons. Some of the occasional vegetables can also be kept in mind for a fortnightly or monthly treat. However, there are numerous allowed veggies that can be served with watercress.

Conclusion

Watercress is an excellent vegetable for bearded dragons and it has all the essential nutrients that suit your bearded dragon. When you feed this veggie to the dragon pet every day they will thrive and become healthy. Also, have a look at Can Bearded Dragons Eat Strawberries, you may find it very useful for your dragon.