Calcium without D3 every other day.

[broderp]

I hear/read that Calcium without D3 every day is good, while with D3 should be every other week. This seems to be the accepted norm.

Now my little Cham, Sherman doesn't always eat all his crickets when dusted. Not a big deal. But I find once they are dusted they don't seem to survive long if you put them back into the keeper for another day.

So here is my strategy:

• M-W-F. I will give him 12 fairly well (double dusted ) crickets.
  • He has been eating about 12 dusted, leaved the rest that die (wasted food)
• T-TH I will give him upwards of 20 plain (gut loaded) crickets.
  • He usually eats all but a few, these can be returned for reuse
  • I trough feed, so I know how many he eats/ get out
• Every other Sat - Calcium WITH D3
• Every other Sun - Multivitimin

Is this safe?

 

[bobbydigital]

I think you should be using calcium without d3 at every feeding. Then calcium with d3 and multivitamin twice a month (which seems to be what you're doing). Make sure to lightly dust them and not coat them all crazy with supplements. I read somewhere they should be grey instead of white. I cup feed as well and the ones that don't get eaten usually survive for a few more days so I'm not sure why yours are dying off. He seems to be eating a lot. My veiled was eating about that much up until recently. They eat more when they're younger.

 

[broderp]

I think you should be using calcium without d3 at every feeding. Then calcium with d3 and multivitamin twice a month (which seems to be what you're doing). Make sure to lightly dust them and not coat them all crazy with supplements. I read somewhere they should be grey instead of white. I cup feed as well and the ones that don't get eaten usually survive for a few more days so I'm not sure why yours are dying off. He seems to be eating a lot. My veiled was eating about that much up until recently. They eat more when they're younger.

If dusting every day uses an average of 1 gram (a totally made up amount for reference only) every week, does it really matter if I use 1 gram over 7 days or if I use 1 gram over 4 days?

 

[bobbydigital]

Well if you put it that way he would be getting more concentrated doses the days he is getting calcium as opposed to getting a light dose daily. You def don't want to over supplement with calcium.

 

[broderp]

Well if you put it that way he would be getting more concentrated doses the days he is getting calcium as opposed to getting a light dose daily. You def don't want to over supplement with calcium.

Does a chameleon use up all the calcium it gets daily or does the amount they need an average?

I look at it this way, a person can skip eating vegetables in their diet every other day, but actually eat extra vegetables on the day that they do. Does the body say, "nope, too much vegetables" or does it absorb the nutrients to get the body thru the next day when it does not get the vegetables? Either way the body is getting the same amount.

The question is whether a Cham averages out the supplement or uses it all and it's an "overdose" for that day that does harm, followed by the next day without that then deprives them of the needed amount of supplement.

 

[bobbydigital]

I get what you're saying but if this all really revolves around extending the lives of a few crickets then you should only feed a few at a time.

 

[kinyonga]

Maybe this will help....
http://www.chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://www.uvma.org/chameleon/vitamind3.htm

 

[broderp]

Maybe this will help....
http://www.chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://www.uvma.org/chameleon/vitamind3.htm

I knew I should have done better in biology class... But no, I had to become an Engineering and learn math...... That crap is just above my head, mostly due to the words I need to sound out and try to pronounce. It's a slow read for me, but I'm getting it..lol

 

[broderp]

Q- is there a ALL-IN-ONE product that I can use every day that will cover ALL the basics, (Calcium, D3, Multivitamin), but have it such that the amounts are not over doing it (especially the D3 and multivitamin). I thought Rapashy made something....??

 

[Nursemaia]

In humans when we get too much of something all at once we secrete in out in urine. So when a healthy person takes a multivitamin they're basically getting expensive urine because that's where most of the vitamins end up. Not all but a majority, some vitamins will build up in the system like Vit A because it's fat soluble and can eventually become toxic. So it's better to get little bits daily than a big dose all at once

 

[nightanole]

Q- is there a ALL-IN-ONE product that I can use every day that will cover ALL the basics, (Calcium, D3, Multivitamin), but have it such that the amounts are not over doing it (especially the D3 and multivitamin). I thought Rapashy made something....??

sticky tongue farms indoor can be used for d3 every dusting. You cant mix minerals and vits in the same powder or it will only stay good a few months.

If the cham gets too much calcium it will start sneezing it out of its nose in the form of crystals.

 

[kinyonga]

Nightanole...chameleons do sneeze salts out their noses but it's NOT calcium!!!!

 

[broderp]

sticky tongue farms indoor can be used for d3 every dusting. You cant mix minerals and vits in the same powder or it will only stay good a few months.

If the cham gets too much calcium it will start sneezing it out of its nose in the form of crystals.

Really???

Nightanole...chameleons do sneeze salts out their noses but it's NOT calcium!!!!

Really?


You gotta love forums. One says yes, one says no - always a difference of opinions. In this case, one says calcium out the nose, the other salt. This is why I question everything.

 

[Nursemaia]

Kinyonga is correct.

https://books.google.com/books?id=l...AC#v=onepage&q=nasal salts chameleons&f=false

 

[JaguarShark]

Just to say if you dust the crickets sensibly (lightly!) then it shouldn't harm their health.
Even if you are buying crickets that are already in poor health it shouldn't be difficult to gutload them and get them into decent condition. I don't understand why you would buy crickets that die from being dusted.
Are you sure that it's the powder that is doing it and you are not just imagining it?

 

[kinyonga]

If the dusting is too heavy the crickets do die fairly quickly.

 

[JaguarShark]

If the dusting is too heavy the crickets do die fairly quickly.

I think I can trust you on this one, even though I've never seen it - good to know for future reference

 

[Nursemaia]

They'll die quickly if dusted heavily because the dust acts as a desiccant and dehydrates them. Just sucks all the moisture right out

 

[kinyonga]

Crickets breathing...
http://cricket-breeding.com/how-crickets-breathe/
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2003/01/24/769094.htm

 

[broderp]

Kinyonga is correct.

Yeah, I knew this , but made my comment as a general thought about forums. Take everything with a grain of salt. I'm sure the person who said it was calcium wasn't attempting to be deceiving.

Just to say if you dust the crickets sensibly (lightly!) then it shouldn't harm their health.
Even if you are buying crickets that are already in poor health it shouldn't be difficult to gutload them and get them into decent condition. I don't understand why you would buy crickets that die from being dusted.
Are you sure that it's the powder that is doing it and you are not just imagining it?

Well, I'm beginning to think I'm over dusting. But, I have been buying crickets from the local big box pet store for years. Some store crickets I have a high mortality rate with no matter what. I try to avoid these locations. Other location, I have had a very good success rate. I'm going to be changing vendors again this week when I go to site sponsor Josh's Frogs for my next large purchase.

If the dusting is too heavy the crickets do die fairly quickly.

I just found out this may be true, they can't breath?? or the below comment??

They'll die quickly if dusted heavily because the dust acts as a desiccant and dehydrates them. Just sucks all the moisture right out

How can this be possible? The dead ones look dry, no moisture looks like it left them.

Crickets breathing...
http://cricket-breeding.com/how-crickets-breathe/
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2003/01/24/769094.htm

This is why I think I may be over dusting. Looks like they breath through opening on their bodies. The calcium if too heave may clog or cover these opening.

Does anyone have a good picture of a properly dusted cricket?