I wanted to ask since sandrachameleon just said the opposite, i quote:

I understand that your gut load techniques increase phosphorus but what is the truth about the normal content in a cricket? I would like to be dusting my insects more often by I've been afraid of providing such supplements when phosphorus and others could be lacking..I do not use anything like the multi-vit rep-cal..something i have been meaning to research and make a choice on getting..also what the heck is phos from the chicken feed or something?

chamlover...once the bones have been brought back to good health (once they are solid and strong again) I would think he should be able to have the strength to walk again. Any bones that are deformed or broken will likely remain that way though.

The quickest way to correct the calcium problem is for a vet to give it shots of calcium until the blood calcium levels are high enough that it can be given a shot of calcitonin which draws the calcium rapidly back into the bones.

Can you post a picture of him please?

Hi Kinyonga,

I'm going to get a pic of him now. I'll get it asap. If there is anyhope of him using his back legs at all i would really like to give it the old college try. I'm just afraid as he gets bigger he'll end up worse. My husband is making him a wheelboard so he doesn't have to drag himself around and possibly hurt himself even more. I've been giving him daily oral calcium for the last 2 weeks. I've been working with another breeder of beardies who has more exp with mbd than i do. At this point, i'm torn between what to do. I know this isn't the beardie site, but i do realize that we all love reptiles here, no matter what kind they are. Also, what are the possiblities that his problems are more genetic? Something that was brought to my attention because of the fast onset of the disease and the extent considering his age. He was purchased from a big, well known breeder, that most breeders already know not to buy from. I actually think he is the product of a trans mated with another trans. 2 of the dragons we rescued from her were trans adn both had problems. Although the females problems were resolved with 3 office visits to the vets.

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Veileds, Ambanjas, Masoalas, Sambavas, Blue Bar Ambilobes, Jacksons, and Melleri

Can you tell me what WER carrots are because i dont have a clue. Thank you!

Sorry for the confusion... There should have been a comma between the two words-- WER, and carrots.

WER was a formulated dry cricket food back then. (Don't know if they are still selling.) Presently, I use Flucker's dry cricket food, or Chicken laying dry feed (for chickens that lay eggs.) I like these over bran or oatmeal due to the Vitamin A in both foods.

Sorry about the confusion

Matthew Wheelock

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Matthew Wheelock, DVM
Dilworth Animal Hospital, Charlotte NC (704) 808-7387

I actually avoid the chicken feed due to the Vitamin A and animal source fats and proteins, but that aside...
Have you any thoughts or concerns about the anitbiotics and growth hormones in the chicken feed? They all seem to contain some of these nasty things. Maybe I just havent looked hard enough

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Not everything that can be counted counts, not everything that counts can be counted.

I'd like to hear from anybody else using chicken feed to gutload, as my veterinarian has been very enthusiastic about it lately, but I have also heard concerns like sandrachameleon's expressed. My vet recommends it in particular for growing juvies.

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1.0 Ambanja panther (McGinty), 0.0.1 tiger salamander (Sally Mander), Rex the Leopard gecko, newts 'n' fish 'n' things

I found this site: http://www.modestomilling.com/poultry.html
I got there off this site: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/livestock_feed/

Which lets you find a producer of organic livestock feed near you.

Do you mean me? My gutload techniques are aimed at high calcium, NOT increasing phosphorous. Many Commonly used feeders (such as crickets) are naturally higher in Phos than calcium, which is not what you want. You gutload and dust to correct this imbalance and to provide nutrients to the chameleon.

If I were to chose one, I'd probably get the flukers dry feed. Formulated specifically for crickets meant to give as feeders to lizards. My guess is that they are playing it safe to the point of not having excess of any particular nutrients, and not having any growth hormones. I'd supplement with various veggies, so there is a nutritional mix. If I was a breeder I would be more likely to worry about issues affecting clutches for future generations (that may or may not happen) due to these hormones.... but I don't breed chams. Those that have done this don't seem to have any ill effects that I know of.

How much do the hormones hurt? There is no research that I have found either way. And research done on chickens assumes that lizards and chickens respond the same way.... and in some ways they do and some they don't.

As a veterinarian, I see more chams and reptiles with hypovitiminosis, so feeding the crickets a laying feed that has more vitamin A is more appealing to me and had worked as an adjunct to get these levels to where I'd like them to be. Unless this is the case though, I don't push chicken laying feed over the others unless there is a convenience issue. I also make sure the crickets are eating other veggies on top of the dry feed. I also believe in giving crickets carrots so they can convert beta cartene (sp?) to Vitamin A.