Can You Overdo Calcium Dusting

[rcutchens]

This may be a silly question because I'm sure anything can be "overdone" and especially so with supplements but I wanted to ask if you can "overdo" calcium dusting?

We dust Rico's crickets with Rep-Cal phospherous-free calcium without Vit-D3 at every feeding but I'm concerned that we sometimes get too much calcium on the crickets. I'm pretty sure we did the first time we fed him and we've tried to adjust the amount since then but it's not easy to control.

We typically place a small amount of the calcium in a sandwich bag and then place the crickets in the bag and shake it up to coat them in the calcium. I've read others post things that they shouldn't come out all white like ghosts but I don't know how we'd avoid it. Even when using less calcium the crickets still look white.

Is this bad for Rico?

 

[ChamOh]

short answer: yes. simple use less calcium..if you use the right amount they won't come out looking like ghosts. boo.

 

[rcutchens]

short answer: yes. simple use less calcium..if you use the right amount they won't come out looking like ghosts. boo.

OK. Thanks, ChamOh. We'll work to reduce the amount of calcium. What should the crickets look like when properly dusted? Obviously we'd expect to have some white on them but they should probably still show some brown/black as well - is that correct?

 

[Olimpia]

Yes, that's correct. You don't want them to look like ghosts, but a very light coating or spotty coating is good.

 

[rcutchens]

Yes, that's correct. You don't want them to look like ghosts, but a very light coating or spotty coating is good.

Thanks as well, Olimpia. We're probably sickening the little fella' with calcium overload.

Great artwork, by the way!

 

[kinyonga]

Calcium absorption depends on D3 availability. PreEformed vitamin A may prevent D3 from doing its job and thus push the chameleon towards MBD...so there isn't a straight-forward simple answer. I've dusted at most feedings with Rep-cal phos.-free calcium for years and not seen any problems as a result...I don't make them look like ghosts though.

You will find some information here...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://chameleonnews.com/02MayDonoghue.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060421.../index.php?show=6.Vitamin.D3.and.Calcium.html

 

[rcutchens]

Calcium absorption depends on D3 availability. PreEformed vitamin A may prevent D3 from doing its job and thus push the chameleon towards MBD...so there isn't a straight-forward simple answer. I've dusted at most feedings with Rep-cal phos.-free calcium for years and not seen any problems as a result...I don't make them look like ghosts though.

You will find some information here...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://chameleonnews.com/02MayDonoghue.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20060421.../index.php?show=6.Vitamin.D3.and.Calcium.html

Thanks, kinyonga. I appreciate the feedback as well as the links to the articles. I can see that there's not an easy answer but I think it's also evident that regular but moderate use is advisable.

Thanks again!

 

[sandrachameleon]

You could only dust half or a third of the crickets the way you do now, making them heavily coated, then put the remainder in uncoated. Some people find that easier than trying to lightly dust all the insects.

 

[Olimpia]

Thanks as well, Olimpia. We're probably sickening the little fella' with calcium overload.

Great artwork, by the way!

Oh, thank you!

 

[rcutchens]

You could only dust half or a third of the crickets the way you do now, making them heavily coated, then put the remainder in uncoated. Some people find that easier than trying to lightly dust all the insects.

That sounds like a possible solution and makes a lot of sense. Thanks, sandrachameleon!