From burgers to stir frys to salsas, onions are a staple ingredient for us people. Are they a staple for bearded dragons, too? Whether it’s red, white, yellow, and green onions, shallots or leeks, can bearded dragons eat onions?
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Onions?
The short answer is no. Onions are bad for bearded dragons. Although onions have several notable health benefits for people (antioxidants, antibacterial properties, vitamins B and C, and potassium, among others), they don’t have any health benefits for bearded dragons.
Why Can’t Bearded Dragons Eat Onions?
Onions are extremely acidic. They’re just too acidic for bearded dragons—acidic enough to cancel out any nutritional benefits.
This includes all varieties of onions: red, yellow, and white onions; green onions; sweet onions; shallots; scallions…if it’s any kind of onion, don’t give it to your bearded dragon.
Raw onions are known to cause heartburn in people, so just imagine what havoc they would wreak on a bearded dragon’s much smaller, much different digestive system.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cooked Onions?
This raises the question, what about cooked onions? Cooking removes some of the acidity, right? In fact, for us people, this can be a good way to curb potential heartburn and digestive issues.
However, the answer is still no. Bearded dragons can’t have cooked onions, either.
Sometimes we love a food so much that we just want to share it with our bearded dragon. This is understandable, but it’s important to remember that their digestive systems are not the same as ours. Cooking an onion won’t mitigate the negative effects on a bearded dragon; the onion is still too acidic for them and will be harmful.
Onions—raw or cooked—can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and other digestive problems for your dragon. There are a lot of other veggie options your dragon can safely enjoy, so focus on those instead!
What Vegetables Are Better for Dragons Than Onions?
If you are disappointed to learn that onions are off the menu, don’t worry. There are still plenty of vegetables that do make the cut. Here are some you can try:
- Asparagus (weekly)
- Bell peppers (a few times a week)
- Carrots (a few times a week)
- Cilantro (every other day)
- Cucumber (every other week)
- Green beans (a few times a week)
- Green cabbage (every other week)
- Okra (every other week)
- Parsnip (a few times a week)
- Peas and snap peas (every other week)
- Pumpkin (every other week)
- Squash (a few times a week)
And remember to feed your dragon nutritious leafy greens every day!
Takeaway: All onions, both cooked and raw, are unsafe for bearded dragons to eat. They are too acidic and can cause several digestive issues.
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