You added charming décor to your bearded dragon’s home, in the form of a bamboo plant. Beardie’s had a bite of bamboo! What do you do? Google, panic, rush him to the nearest vet, you wonder if he is ok? Is bamboo bad for your beardie?
Is Bamboo Toxic to Bearded Dragons? Bamboo is NON-TOXIC to bearded dragons unless it is Heavenly (or Sacred) Bamboo, or they were sprayed with a whole host of chemicals and pesticides. However, bamboo is a sustainable resource known to be grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
Keep reading to find out about the different uses for bamboo in beardie habitats as well as learn more about which bamboo you should steer clear of for your beardie’s sake.
Bamboo- A Brilliant Plant
Bamboo is a brilliant plant available in more than 1000 species, with a woody and grassy kind of feel to it. Growing swiftly and abundantly, it thrives in mild and tropical climates and can be harvested within 3 – 5 years as opposed to 20 to 200 years for traditional hardwood.
Better yet, pesticides and herbicides are not used to grow this plant! So that should make it safe for our beardie friends!
Why Bamboo Makes A Great Habitat Accessory
Beardie parents have loved the bamboo root as an accessory to their beardie’s home. The bamboo root is natural and trendy in appearance incorporating different tilts, slants, and points, including branches.
It also contains no cracks or slits and openings where crickets or other feeder insects could potentially conceal themselves. Sanitizing and disinfecting are simple due to the smooth surface.
Many beardie owners use bamboo to build DIY accessories for their beardies, such as bridges for climbing and have not ran into any issues. However, there are other bamboo enclosures and accessories available for purchase as well.
Bamboo wood, free from any pesticides, insecticides or herbicides and that which has also been dried and sterilized, is a wonderful benefit to give yourself the peace of mind that your bearded dragon is not being exposed to harmful chemicals.
Dried bamboo shoots are also considered as a safe wood to use to build climbing platforms, including ramps for your beardie as they do not contain harmful chemicals. Your beardie can have fun and explore without you having to be concerned about exposure to chemicals.
Pogona Barbata on tree
Why Bamboo Is A Great Feeding Tool
Bamboo is also used to create feeding tweezers or forceps for feeding your beardie insects.
Bamboo makes for a brilliant sustainable, renewable, and natural resource for feeding your pet, as there are no harmful chemicals and pesticides which you need to be concerned about. It is a fantastic benefit offered by bamboo.
The bamboo feeding tool is excellent as mouth injuries are prevented, and stress is therefore also reduced for both beardies and their parents alike.
As bamboo is also eco-friendly, you and your beardie would be doing the environment a huge favor!
Toxic Bamboo Plants to Avoid
The following two bamboo related plants should never form part of any beardie habitat décor!
Bamboo Shoots
Bamboo shoots have not been tested for toxicity in bearded dragons but are not toxic to cats or dogs, so could we deduce that perhaps they aren’t toxic to bearded dragons?
Human beings can consume bamboo shoots provided they have been cooked. Although fit for human consumption, it’s not meant for your beardie’s consumption.
Bamboo shoots are listed as a dangerous food for bearded dragons, due to excessive levels of cyanogenic glucosides. Obviously, as a beardie parent, you wouldn’t want to take any chances, so bamboo shoots are definitely one to avoid. They are toxic!
Heavenly Bamboo
Heavenly Bamboo should be avoided like the plague by beardie parents or any pet parents for that matter. Heavenly bamboo is toxic and poisonous to all animals! High levels of cyanogenic glycosides are present in this plant as well to deter animals from eating them.
Poisoning in pets as a result of plant-related cyanide is extremely uncommon as cyanogenic glucosides give off a bitter taste, which pets cannot stomach. Intoxication is, therefore, uncommon, and consumption of the plant may cause gastrointestinal upset rather than a critical situation.
In the potential case of a pet ingesting a toxic amount, death could occur in minutes. While toxicity has not been tested in bearded dragons, as a beardie parent, you should undeniably keep your beardie away from this plant.
Owners may not be aware of toxicity in time, and pets could, therefore, die before treatment can be provided. If you’re lucky enough to find your pet’s pulse, even if they aren’t breathing, treatment can be incredibly useful in most cases.
This point should be reiterated – This is a form of bamboo beardies should avoid!
Bamboo Plants as Décor
Other beardie owners on the internet have not reported any issues with their dragons when consuming bamboo plant leaves but still expressed concern for their beardies.
Beardie owners concerned about their beardies consuming bamboo leaves monitored for diarrhea and vomiting. However, vomiting and diarrhea never occurred.
Some beardie owners recommended activated charcoal to absorb any poison in the stomach should any toxic chemicals be present on the bamboo plants. It would also help the poison to pass through safely.
Another recommendation for potentially ingesting toxic chemicals from the plant was to offer cilantro in order to detoxify naturally.
As beardies are very sensitive to certain foods, the possibility of feeling ill is increased when accidentally consuming the wrong plants. Care should be taken to ensure that plants that are safe to consume are used as décor in your beardies home.
There are plants that are considered safe for your beardie to eat and also add an element of vibrancy to your beardie’s home. Consequently, you won’t have to be too concerned if your beardie is trying out the new plant selection in their habitats!
Bamboo plants are safe for beardies, despite some comments by beardie owners on the internet, they have not caused harm. However, always monitor your beardie’s stool. If it’s runny, its best to remove the plant altogether.
Disadvantages of Bamboo Plants
As with any plant, your beardie will eat at them. The broad leaves also tend to raise humidity levels in the tank. These plants also require continuous care and monitoring.
What about artificial plants, though? Some beardie owners use artificial plants. However, they can be exposed to heat damage. They are also not as captivating as real plants, and your pet may try to eat them too.
What’s worse than a beardie feeding on real plants? A beardie trying to feed on plastic plants! So, it’s ideal to stick to real plants your beardie can snack on.
Conclusion
Bamboo is non-toxic to beardies as they are natural, sustainable resources grown without pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and herbicides. They serve as fantastic feeding tools or make for really cool accessories to add some spunk to your beardies home!
While bamboo plants may be safe and non-toxic to beardies, special care should always be taken where your beardie is concerned.
However, bamboo shoots and heavenly bamboo should especially be avoided as these are toxic! It is vital to keep abreast regarding potential poisonous plants and not include these in your beardies home.
Bamboo can serve many purposes for your beardie, just make sure it’s the right bamboo to keep both you and your beardie happy!
