If you have some butter lettuce in your home, can you feed it safely to bearded dragons?
Are all leafy greens the same when it comes to the diet of your bearded dragon?
As you are shopping for your pet lizard, you may come across butter lettuce and wonder if it’s a healthy choice for your beardie.
We’ll help you figure this out in this post.
Table of Contents
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Butter Lettuce?
Yes, butter lettuce is good for your bearded dragon. Butterhead lettuce is a good source of calcium and can help provide a balanced diet.
Providing leafy greens to your bearded dragon is a good source of nutrients and vitamins.
As you are shopping for your bearded dragon, you will notice all types of lettuce.
While you may think it’s safe to grab any of them, it’s essential to understand what is best to feed your dragon and what to avoid.
Vitamins in Butterhead Lettuce
The green leaf lettuce does offer a variety of vitamins vital to your dragon’s diet.
While lettuces aren’t the best choice for your lizard because of their high water content, butterhead is a nutritious green to add to your dragon’s diet.
They are a great source of Vitamin B6, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin K.
On top of this, they provide the right amount of potassium and riboflavin.
They provide a good dose of calcium to help support bone growth.
How to Serve Lettuce To Bearded Dragons
Providing your dragon with a nice spring mix with various lettuce choices can make for a great meal on occasion.
As you prepare the meal, make sure to chop the lettuce into small pieces, making it easy for them to eat.
The smaller your dragon is, the smaller their food should be.
Always make sure to remove any leftovers after about hours to prevent anything from rotting.
Occasionally, your lizard may bring food into their water bowl, so you will want to inspect this after feeding if you need to remove anything.
How Much Lettuce Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
Make sure to take into consideration how much lettuce you are feeding your beardie.
As with most foods, you don’t want to overdo it.
Too much will cause diarrhea in your bearded dragon.
For your adult bearded dragon, giving them just one leaf will be plenty to satisfy their taste buds.
Avoid giving baby bearded dragons any lettuce. It will block other nutrients from being absorbed into the body of a baby bearded dragon.
You might wonder if all lettuce choices are the same.
Understanding which of the lettuce varieties is beneficial for your lizard and will help support a healthy lifestyle.
The problem you will see with most types of lettuce is, they are not as nutrient-dense as other leafy greens.
There are much better choices when it comes to getting green vegetables in their diet.
Lettuce Doesn’t Just Cause Digestive Problems
Bearded dragon owners should be aware of other problems caused by overeating lettuce.
Lettuce is very high in Vitamin A and can cause swelling, dehydration, and weight loss when given in large amounts.
Vitamin A, along with beta-carotene, can lead to a condition called hypervitaminosis A.
In other words, an overdose of Vitamin A.
It is often seen in lizards who are currently taking a Vitamin A supplement.
Does Lettuce Have Oxalates?
The oxalates in food bind with calcium and prevent it from being absorbed into the body.
Overall, lettuce is lower in oxalates than, say, spinach.
Monitoring the oxalates’ level in your dragon’s diet is essential to keep healthy calcium to phosphorus ratio.
It also helps promote healthy growth in your beardie.
Can You Feed Your Bearded Dragon Romaine Lettuce?
Yes, it’s safe to give romaine lettuce to your bearded dragon.
Be aware, giving a bearded dragon too much romaine lettuce can cause major digestive issues.
Too much, and you likely will be finding diarrhea in their tank.
There are better choices for grees, but romaine lettuce will provide them with some important nutrients, like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium, and calcium.
Giving your dragon romaine lettuce in moderation is vital.
Like most lettuces, it tends to have high water content.
You don’t want to be feeding your bearded dragon romaine daily.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Iceberg Lettuce?
With all the lettuce varieties to choose from, iceberg lettuce should fall at the bottom of your list.
It lacks the nutrients other kinds of lettuce may provide.
The water content is so high, it’s like giving them a full bowl of water.
Staying hydrated is vital for your bearded dragon, but just like other types of lettuce, iceberg lettuce will cause diarrhea if given in large amounts.
Iceberg lettuce is low in calcium, which is a crucial nutrient in avoiding metabolic bone disease (MBD).
What Leafy Greens Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
If you decide you want to incorporate lettuce and other vegetables, here’s a quick rundown of the variety of greens and veggies to put in your shopping cart.
Remember, any of the lettuces will have high water content and should only be given about once or twice a week to avoid diarrhea.
- Beet Greens
- Collard Greens
- Swiss Chard
- Mustard Greens
- Turnip Greens
- Butternut Squash
Foods Bearded Dragons Should Avoid
While it’s good to know which foods are allowed in moderation, it’s even more important to know which to avoid altogether.
While giving your dragon crickets and mealworms can provide some healthy protein, you should never let them eat fireflies.
Fireflies are so toxic, eating one can end up being fatal.
Avocado is popular for humans, but make a point to keep it away from your pet lizard.
They have a high level of oxalic acid; this is extremely harmful to bearded dragons.
Final Thoughts
It’s important to remember, the foods you give your bearded dragon can make a large impact on their life.
If you decide to give your bearded dragon lettuce of any type, be sure to do so in moderation.
