Zach Valois
New Member
Well... I am posting to bring to light a new product called Sunshine Factor.
I have been working with good exotics vet and she is my acting consultant.
The first topic is that, despite a few posts I have seen about it, vit a levels cannot be accurately determined via blood tests (per comm from vet). Vitamin A is a fat stored vitamin and thus can only by done by a liver necropsy or assay of the liver. So that is one note..
Furthermore, I am increasingly skeptic on how often us culturists jump to a diagnosis of hypovitaminosis A. I have not seen a single case (please share if you have) of a necropsied specimen, yielding firm results of deficient Vit A levels (or hypervitaminosis for that matter). Now I am not disputing that this is a problem, because numerous published sources have discussed the common nature of this topic in other herps (see Mader 2006).
As far as beta carotene is concerned, I think we have established that it is not known if reptiles can use it in this form. Well, per the information supplied by my vet, herbivorous reptiles should be able to use beta carotene. However, carnivorous [reptiles] animals cannot. Going on, insectivorous herps chemically could be considered omnivorous (further supported by vegetation consumption as we see in some chameleon taxa). With that said, in theory, insectivorous herps should be able to convert beta carotene. However, it is undefined as to how complete this form converts over and if and what components are being missed.
Ferguson et al 2004, provided some input on the matter.
"Panther chameleons fed crickets gut loaded with standard Zeigler diet (70iu/g of Vit A) have rarely shown signs of Vit A deficiency. Half grown crickets on this standard diet contain roughly 15% of the concentration of the diet or about 10 iu/g of vit A (Ferguson et al. 1996). If Vit A deficiency appears (for example, when old diet contained degraded Vit A is used), it can be corrected with a single dose of 4,000 to 8,000 iu of Vit A suspended in corn oil administered orally. We recommend a chronic daily dose of 5-10 iu of Vit A, obtained by gut loaded crickets or mealworms a diet containeing roughly seven times that concentration. A weekly oral dose of 30-40 IU for an adult chameleon fed crickets gut loaded with low Vit A diets has also been reported to be sufficient. A diet containing caretonoids but not Vit A does not seem to be effective at preventing Vit A deficiency symptoms in panther chameleons"
Ferguson et al 2006 goes on to outline the importance of feeding a high calcium dry food mix in addition to mixed vegetables, with some interesting notes on nutrient comparison of smaller crickets as oppose to adult crickets.
From their 2006 publication, "Accordingly, we tend to feed larger numbers of smaller crickets (half-grown size or smaller) and mealworms (medium sized or smaller) to even the largest male panther chameleons."
I must note however, that signs of Vit A deficiency as described by the authors is not clearly outlined, at least not in this publication.
Some interesting food for thought here.
And finally, I wanted to see if anyone has heard of a new product called Sunshine Factor. It is primarily Red Palm fruit oil. It reads to have high carotene content, this being a precursor of Vit A. With such being a precursor, there is a smaller inherent risk of vitamin toxicity. But, can and will sufficient Vit A be derived from the product?
I have a trio of animals that all came from one breeder and they are markedly smaller and stunted compared to my other animals. Their appetite is a 1/3 of what my other animals eat and obviously have something going on. I have given an intial dose of 0.1 ml of Sunshine Factor and will continue to gut load some staple prey items with it and see if I see any changes.
The product is being marketed primarily for birds and reptiles, but is said to be applicable to virtually any animal. Here is a link:
http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/SUNSHINE-FACTOR-1oz/productinfo/AVXSSF1/
In conclusion, I think I will modify my gutloading to always include a high calcium dry food (I may or may not put Sunshine Factor in the food), in addition to the usual assortment of collards, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc. Ferguson et al. 2006 did mention that smaller mealworms and to a lesser degree, crickets, transfer calcium more effectively when gut loaded.
Ferguson does have a few more publications that I am going to try and track down.. all pertaining to the issue at hand, and I am surprised that no one has strongly referenced them (that I have come across that is).
Your thoughts?
I have been working with good exotics vet and she is my acting consultant.
The first topic is that, despite a few posts I have seen about it, vit a levels cannot be accurately determined via blood tests (per comm from vet). Vitamin A is a fat stored vitamin and thus can only by done by a liver necropsy or assay of the liver. So that is one note..
Furthermore, I am increasingly skeptic on how often us culturists jump to a diagnosis of hypovitaminosis A. I have not seen a single case (please share if you have) of a necropsied specimen, yielding firm results of deficient Vit A levels (or hypervitaminosis for that matter). Now I am not disputing that this is a problem, because numerous published sources have discussed the common nature of this topic in other herps (see Mader 2006).
As far as beta carotene is concerned, I think we have established that it is not known if reptiles can use it in this form. Well, per the information supplied by my vet, herbivorous reptiles should be able to use beta carotene. However, carnivorous [reptiles] animals cannot. Going on, insectivorous herps chemically could be considered omnivorous (further supported by vegetation consumption as we see in some chameleon taxa). With that said, in theory, insectivorous herps should be able to convert beta carotene. However, it is undefined as to how complete this form converts over and if and what components are being missed.
Ferguson et al 2004, provided some input on the matter.
"Panther chameleons fed crickets gut loaded with standard Zeigler diet (70iu/g of Vit A) have rarely shown signs of Vit A deficiency. Half grown crickets on this standard diet contain roughly 15% of the concentration of the diet or about 10 iu/g of vit A (Ferguson et al. 1996). If Vit A deficiency appears (for example, when old diet contained degraded Vit A is used), it can be corrected with a single dose of 4,000 to 8,000 iu of Vit A suspended in corn oil administered orally. We recommend a chronic daily dose of 5-10 iu of Vit A, obtained by gut loaded crickets or mealworms a diet containeing roughly seven times that concentration. A weekly oral dose of 30-40 IU for an adult chameleon fed crickets gut loaded with low Vit A diets has also been reported to be sufficient. A diet containing caretonoids but not Vit A does not seem to be effective at preventing Vit A deficiency symptoms in panther chameleons"
Ferguson et al 2006 goes on to outline the importance of feeding a high calcium dry food mix in addition to mixed vegetables, with some interesting notes on nutrient comparison of smaller crickets as oppose to adult crickets.
From their 2006 publication, "Accordingly, we tend to feed larger numbers of smaller crickets (half-grown size or smaller) and mealworms (medium sized or smaller) to even the largest male panther chameleons."
I must note however, that signs of Vit A deficiency as described by the authors is not clearly outlined, at least not in this publication.
Some interesting food for thought here.
And finally, I wanted to see if anyone has heard of a new product called Sunshine Factor. It is primarily Red Palm fruit oil. It reads to have high carotene content, this being a precursor of Vit A. With such being a precursor, there is a smaller inherent risk of vitamin toxicity. But, can and will sufficient Vit A be derived from the product?
I have a trio of animals that all came from one breeder and they are markedly smaller and stunted compared to my other animals. Their appetite is a 1/3 of what my other animals eat and obviously have something going on. I have given an intial dose of 0.1 ml of Sunshine Factor and will continue to gut load some staple prey items with it and see if I see any changes.
The product is being marketed primarily for birds and reptiles, but is said to be applicable to virtually any animal. Here is a link:
http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/SUNSHINE-FACTOR-1oz/productinfo/AVXSSF1/
In conclusion, I think I will modify my gutloading to always include a high calcium dry food (I may or may not put Sunshine Factor in the food), in addition to the usual assortment of collards, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc. Ferguson et al. 2006 did mention that smaller mealworms and to a lesser degree, crickets, transfer calcium more effectively when gut loaded.
Ferguson does have a few more publications that I am going to try and track down.. all pertaining to the issue at hand, and I am surprised that no one has strongly referenced them (that I have come across that is).
Your thoughts?
