Best green for your Beardie

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Gonzo

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I've started a new thread for this discussion, as it doesn't fit in the one it evolved from, which was about feeding times.

Dragon Lady, why do you say not to use cos lettuce?

It is also known as romaine lettuce, and according to the "Bearded Dragon Manual", it is the overall best green to use. Check out pg. 57 if you have it.
I use it almost every day, supplemented with other greens, fruit and vegetables.

Gonzo

Gonzo....
Coz...(Romaine) & Iceberg lettuce,has very little if no natural vitamins....but is great to help with hydration
thats why we all do use lettuce....in summer...
Reptiles...in this case we are talking dragons...drink very little & in the higher heats hydration is needed

With youngsters...hatchies...bokchoy varieties...also endive will give better nutritional value ..at basically the same expense than lettuce of any variety

I only use fruit or veg generally as garnish ...on top of the greens
& fruit only on top every other greens feed
Once mine are minimum of 12-16 wks...depending on size..they dont generally get greens every day

I do try to always include dandelion ,rose,hybiscus pettals..milk thistles where possible

Isnt the "Bearded Dragon Manual"....American?

Dragon Lady - Where does your information come from?

What exactly do you mean by your comment, "Isnt the "Bearded Dragon Manual"....American?"?

Gonzo
 
Gonzo...just found your thread

for starters.....in no way did i mean to upset you!
I have also bought American books/magazines on reptiles...on our reptiles
& have also Australian books

I would soundly trust Australian information before overseas...i do believe the book you mentioned is American

Having bred other animals it is wide known that although great for hydration...Iceberg/Coz lettuce has little nutritional value....especially when you compare the value of endive,bukchoy etc
I did say it does have great hydration value....& know breeders who use it for that purpose only

My information comes from Vets & Reptile Breeders that i have spoken to over a period of years...
plus my own experience
just like many will not feed spinach ...i believe its too high in iron, i may be wrong
unfortunately i cant find my vegetable chart

I have also bred rabbits of variety,guinea pigs,budgies,.....
taken in via rescue ,native animals & gotten correct diet & nutritional values from vets that say the same....

Gonzo...i believe this would have been more constructive via pm....its ok...you cant offend me
 
Gonzo do not listen to a lot of the rubbish info around............its really sad that that people think they know it all and go against what experts in the field of herps say and recomend. Iceburg and Cos lettuse are of no nutritional value and should not be fed as they have a tedancy to make the beardy scour. Scouring then causes a whole heap of problems in itself. The best greens for beardies are Bok Choi, Endive, Wom Bok, broccolli, zuchini, snow peas and any of the other asian greens. They also need small amounts of capsicum, strawberry, apple and any other non acidic fruit.
Hope this helps any more questions PM me.....Cheers
 
the bearded dragon manuals and care books are over 8 years old. extremely OUT DATED. and should only be taken as smokey guidlines, seek online veterinarians and nutritionalists. and those that do research and studies behind what they preach. and look around for conflicting advice etc. do your own research as well..

heres a list of appropriate foods, and those that are not..

http://beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

the BEST ones we can find in Australia, are Endive, Alfalfa and Dandelion greens..

you can also add some arugula, bok choy (or other occasional foods on the list.)

you also want vegetables, (although greens are most of the salad) you can sue squash, beans and carrot.

then fruits, mango, papaya and berries (strawbs, blue and rasb.)

hope this helps..

(i'd also like to add that broccoli and spinach bind to calcium and slow their intake (not good) in high amounts it can actually stop their absorption)

avocado and rhubarb are toxic too them, so is onion, garlic, mushrooms and eggplant,and acidic fruits liek oranges and mandarins arent all too good either.
 
Kirby...thankyou for the spinach update....i knew it was a no no ,,but at that time of night couldnt think why?

thankyou
 
Let me start by saying that the title of this thread is not accurate. I just want to know where Dragon Lady’s information about Cos lettuce, having very little or no nutrients, comes from.

I ‘m not upset Dragon Lady. You had a go at American herpetological literature, not at me. I‘m a little disappointed if anything.
When I asked where your information came from, I was hoping that you would quote a book, or reference a web page, so I could check out the information for myself.
Instead, I’ve done a search, and found vitamin and mineral data for cos, bok choy and iceberg. Here is the information.

cbi.jpg

Source of information is The United States Department Of Agriculture http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=8964

Looking at the data I can understand why people avoid iceberg.

You said that cos has “very little if no natural vitamins” however the information above shows that, compared to bok choy, cos has a higher level of nutrients in 10 areas, and its calcium/phosphorus ratio is acceptable at just over 1:1.

FreadBear you also say that “iceberg and cos lettuce are of no nutritional value”, but I don’t see a whole lot of zero’s in the nutritional data. Yes, the iceberg is lowest in most areas and not worth using when there are a lot of better options. However I think cos compares well with bok choy, and does not deserve to be grouped with iceberg in the do not use category.

Kirby - that is an interesting website, however I would really like to know what criteria Veronica uses to determine which category to place each food into.

Gonzo
 
Have A Nice Life

GONZO... i stated "Isnt the Bearded Dragon Manual .......American"

sorry that you ASSUMED that opinion....

i simply do not want to debate any issue with you.....

other than vet & other breeder opinion....i have always gone by instinct...
my head isnt burried into books....yes have read many,not that i agree...or want to debate ideas with you

my opinion is simply....experience vs literature... experience will win everytime!
there are many trusted,valued,EXPERIENCED opinions that i agree with....
people write books....not they will have hands on experience with their ideas.

want to argue...debate.....fine....have fun....by yourself!....& have a lovely day as i will :lol:
 
hmm, when we were growing up we had a bearded, for veges we fed it romaine lettuce, ice berg lettuce, bok choy, and carrot and bugs we found in the garden. we caught the ebd as a juvenile and kept it in and small aviry on the deck, now it pased away at the ripe old age of 16 so the salad must have been terrible for it:rolleyes:
I dont believe most of this "nutritionalists" grabage on that site. look what beardies eat in the wild, we have one on our property that eats straberries yet its says on the site that they are not so good. i think the lizard knows what it likes to eat:rolleyes:hmm, someone post what they think is good for the lizard and people treat it like a bible. i wouldn't belive 90% of thestuff thats posted on the internet.
 
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I've always found Bok Choi to be an excellent green for Beardies... I always use it as the base for my Beardie Salads...
 
Yes....i was a bad dragon lady....so my signature will come back as time passes

i stated that iceberg/coz lettuce had no nutritional value...great for hydration
whats the big deal? other greens are better...but not as good as the spoken of for hydration
its not as if we all only feed iceberg/coz lettuce...for veg & thats it!
my experience tells me....& also backup from vet & breeders
that a better substitue for hatchies...to get a better start....is other known greens
preferably native greens...dandelions,hybiscus,milk thistle,...flower petals-rose-geranium-hybiscus
bokchoy varieties,endive etc
i prefer by experience not to use iceberg/coz lettuce as a main staple green....
sorry to offend anyone
 
Dragon Lady - I agree with you in regards to Iceberg lettuce - but what exactly has your experience shown...? I find it a little hard to understand how your experiences have informed you of nutritional value...?

I have found that a diet high in Iceberg lettuce leads to runnier stools...

I primarily use Bok Choy, Pak Choy, Choy Sum and Baby Endive and then put some extras in for variety of texture and colour...mostly chopped Carrot with the occasional fruit pieces...
 
As far as leafy greens go, my beardies get mostly bok choy and wombok (chinese cabbage) - they go nuts for both. Then I mix in some other veges, such as carrot, slivers of pumpkin, sliced green beans, etc.
 
I have read in a few different places that iceberg wasn't that great, and it can cause diorrhea. I haven't had a problem with it, but I grow all my own lettuce and the beardies get about 4 different varieties.
 
sorry its a bit off topic but,: when you cut up buk choy cut off the end and plant them the garden, water them every second day and you will have a full sized buk choy plant within a month, i actually grow my own now.
 
Thanks for the tip Spinipes.....forgot that one.
 
That was great...Spinipes...i will try it!

Aslan...thankyou...i think...
yes lettuce has a high moisture content...


Gonzo..... i dont know why...decided to make this a public debate....instead of PM'ing me & asking my opinion
maybe he thought it was some how a direct attempt to hurt him...?...i dont see how

over time...you learn many things...not that you write every thing down..& cataloged reasons why!
this is called life's experience...

if you trip up & break your ankle because you didnt tie your shoe laces.....you tie them up....you learn!

If ive learnt something....doesnt matter what or how many decades ago...
& then you see that you can share the information .....you do that!

1. Ive learnt at a young age....not to use iceberg/coz lettuce as a main staple...
as yes...stools get runny(thanks Aslan)
the animal with lose condition rather quickly
therefore ...no matter what else they eat...it wont give them much benefit
2.The animals that were referred to...for help... were australian...
i have seen too many people treat books that were written by non Australians as the be all & end all!
& the reader doesnt take in consideration that our climate,seasons,daylight hours,vegetation, live prey entirely differs to our overseas friends....



And that is my opinion....not that i enforce that it is everyones!
i truly dont mean to offend anyone...sorry if i did
 
get reptiles austrlia magazine vol3 issue 5 realy good article on feeding lizards list a great selection of fruit and vege to feed your lizards on i recomend anyone with lizards get it and read it
 
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