Can i ask what is Vit a
- Thread starter kyreg
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Nicodemayo
Avid Member
Im no moderator but post in the other thread rather than creating a new one! it keeps things organized and creates a good single reference source for others wondering the same thing.
Nicodemayo
Avid Member
no man its all good! It just makes it easier to find the answer in one thread instead of two!
mika
New Member
The controversy is whether chams can convert Beta Carotene to Vit A.
Some people use preformed Vit A which can be toxic & the chams can overdose on.
I personally use Retinyl Palmitate.
Short & sweet eh..lol
But really, there is more to it than that.. You gotta read up on it.. There's threads on this forum that will give you a lot of information.
Some people don't use it... It's just like people who eat just organic & people that eat frozen food..
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Brian
New Member
Hi Mika,
Whats Retinyl Palmitate...is that the brand your using? Im going to costo tomorrow to see if I can find some good Vitamin A capsules...what would you recommend?
Brian
mika
New Member
Retinyl Palmitate is preformed Vit A. I personally use this:
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/...t=cs&source=FG&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=EN-1034
I hard a hard time finding it. This is the only place with the lowest iu I found.
The Vit A Brad Ramsey is recommending is in the form of fish oil & this is what you will find in most stores.. I tried Rite Aid, CVS, etc..
I tried the fish oil Vit A in gelcaps. I placed a teensy drop on a hornworm. From my experience, observing them, they seemed to act weird. Like Jim Flaherty from the Chameleon Company said, it seemed like they wanna throw up (well not exactly his words).
I tried Retinyl palmitate & they did not exhibit the same behavior. They seemed to act normal.
Here is an interview with him with the chameleonnews.com & how he suggested using retinyl palmitate. I believe this interview was done around 2005-2006 because it states his son was due 2006 of october.
There's also other threads here wherein he talks about it. Using a q tip to administer it. Some people don't use it.
http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=76
"Retinyl palmitate is a pre-formed version of vitamin A, and can thus be realistically over-dosed, unlike beta-carotene."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_A_palmitate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_A_palmitate
mika
New Member
I don't do it once a week.
I do mine once a month.
What I do now is put 1 cricket (3 weeks old) in the cup, press the dropper so there's nothing left in it.
Place the tip of the dropper & kinda like swipe it across the crickets back.
Then I put the cup in the enclosure & wait to make sure the cham eats the cricket.
From my experience, if you coat the cricket too much, it dies.
I do mine once a month.
What I do now is put 1 cricket (3 weeks old) in the cup, press the dropper so there's nothing left in it.
Place the tip of the dropper & kinda like swipe it across the crickets back.
Then I put the cup in the enclosure & wait to make sure the cham eats the cricket.
From my experience, if you coat the cricket too much, it dies.
But do they NEED it? or is it something you can choose either to give or not.
ALSO what about calcium dosages with d3 i think it is...
how manytimes shoudl i give it ....
the pet shop told me everythime i feed my cham.. but after reading some threads it seems i need to not be diong that ..
mika
New Member
Here's a good site for supplements: (thanks Mr. Dave Weldon!)
http://vipervenom9.tripod.com/id17.html
Basically, you need to do more research on whether you want to use it or not.
In my opinion & from what I've read, I think it's a necessity unless I want my cham to have eye problems.
If you don't want to use it, you can maybe ask KINYONGA and see what she gutloads with or what she does. I don't think I can even come close to following her regimen.
Do not give your cham D3 everytime you feed it. I'm assuming you feed it everyday.
There's a lot of info out there.. There's a lot of things you have to take into account.
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mika
New Member
It depends on how much sun they're getting
my terrarium is a few inches away from the window in my basement( i live in my basement) and the sun hits it around noonish. i let the light in and open the window but thats about all.
CleanLineChameleons
Avid Member
UVB cannot go through a window, so basically your cham is just getting heat. Supplement calcium with vit. D3 (once a week for a youngster) and calcium without D3 a couple times a week as well as having a UVB light.
-chris
-chris
Ok!
so i did it today and so i should put more calcium on the crickets nest week ?
As well, if i may ask, what do you personally feed your crickets?
And should i bring the cham outside to get some sun because of it only getting heat?
CleanLineChameleons
Avid Member
Well from your avatar it looks like you have a little Veiled. I would definitely take your chameleon outside for some natural sunlight, for a Veiled make sure that is at least 75 and no more than 90 with some shade so he can escape the heat if need be. I try to take mine out for about an hour or two every other day or so, if I can. I saw where you said "next week," your chameleon needs to eat basically everyday while they are young.
I feel that you need to not worry about the vit. A mainly because their is no real evidence or studies showing that chameleons cannot cleave chemicals from our normal feeders to form a usable vitamin A. Supplementing with vit. A should not be in the basics for new chameleon keepers without firm evidence.
Calcium and D3 on the other hand have been proven and definitely should be included in the basics. I would supplement calcium 3 times a week and throw in the calcium with D3 once a week for youngsters and gradually weening it down to once a month for full grown adults. You need to have a UVB 5.0 and change it every 6 months. Also give a multivitamin powder supplement once a month. Mist twice a day and keep your temps around 75 and a basking area of 95 under the heat lamp.
You can feed your crickets carrots, any dark leafy green like Romaine Lettuce, and oranges. You can also buy cricket gut load from some places.
That is my 2 cents, stick to the basics let the more experience keepers that want to play with the different supplements do what they will and possibly in the future there will be firm evidence as is with calcium metabolism in chameleons.
-chris
I feel that you need to not worry about the vit. A mainly because their is no real evidence or studies showing that chameleons cannot cleave chemicals from our normal feeders to form a usable vitamin A. Supplementing with vit. A should not be in the basics for new chameleon keepers without firm evidence.
Calcium and D3 on the other hand have been proven and definitely should be included in the basics. I would supplement calcium 3 times a week and throw in the calcium with D3 once a week for youngsters and gradually weening it down to once a month for full grown adults. You need to have a UVB 5.0 and change it every 6 months. Also give a multivitamin powder supplement once a month. Mist twice a day and keep your temps around 75 and a basking area of 95 under the heat lamp.
You can feed your crickets carrots, any dark leafy green like Romaine Lettuce, and oranges. You can also buy cricket gut load from some places.
That is my 2 cents, stick to the basics let the more experience keepers that want to play with the different supplements do what they will and possibly in the future there will be firm evidence as is with calcium metabolism in chameleons.
-chris
mika
New Member
Chris, you might want to check out this link. In order to open it, you would need to download it.
http://www.badongo.com/file/2344836
I agree, you might end up overdosing.
mika
New Member
I wouldn't put the terrarium in front of the sun if the glass doors are closed because you can cook the cham & whole enclosure will heat up fast.
They need unfiltered sunlight (no glass, plastic etc) & this is why screen enclosures work best.
Silly me.
Im sorry i messed up , i meant to say that i open the window to let a breeze and light in, as well as the terrarium doors.
And i will saty away from vit a, cause im a worry wort.
Ihave the brand Rep-cal its calcium with vit d3 and phosphorous free, i give that once a week.
And just PLAIN calcium 3 times a week.
WHat is the mulitvitamin? like what should i look for?
as well the pet store told me it was ok t feed it wax worms but to me they seem pretty big...
