Do supplements go bad?

If you're referring to the calcium and vitamin ones, yes, they do expire. Mine all have dates on the jars. What kind are you using?
 
I use Repcal w/D3 and Herptivite and generic calcium. Never noticed a date; might not be looking hard enough :p
 
This is a great question, particularly for those of us with a small number of chameleons...with 3 different supplements and only a small amount of dusting needed...I sort of think I have a life time supply...will they last that long?
 
Most people on a couple other boards I am on state the suppliments lose their potentency after about 6 months of being opened.

I replace all my suppliments every 6 months.
 
Liquid calciums like calcium sandoz go bad...they have other ingredients besides calcium....but I don't know if pure calcium would go bad.
 
its regulated so they have to put a date on it that is far from the real expiration date.
 
My Rep-cal Multivitamin says it expired in February of this year. I need to go buy a new container soon then.


My plain Rep-cal calcium container doesn't have an expiration date on it at all.
 
Yes your supplements can and do go bad. Well, not usually bad like spoiled, but definitely inactivated to the point where they do not provide what your cham needs.

The minerals generally last longer than the vitamins. How quickly they deteriorate depends on many factors like temp, humidity, exposure to light, etc.

Most should have an expiration date. If they don't I wouldn't use it.

I use multiple brands and I toss them and buy new ones once a year. I would do this even more often if you live in a humid area and are using a multivitamin powder. Also important to shake them as sometimes they settle out.

Unfortunately the proportions that these vitamins are sold in is not conducive to single pet owners because you can't use them up in the time it takes to go bad. And they are fairly expensive, so most people just hang onto the one they have.

Come on... raise your hand if you've had that same jar of repcal on the shelf for 5 years now... time to toss it and spend another $12 on a new one!

When possible, split a new container between a few people. Or ask your pet store if they will charge you to take a few scoops from their bulk jars. I have even seen people using craigslist to distribute vitamins.
 
My vet told me that, stored properly, I could continue using the calicum powder for a year after the "expiry" date and have no concerns. After that I use it in the garden.

She Recommended not exceeding the vitamin dates, as often the vitamins in those pots were old (by human consumption standards) before they were even sold.
 
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