Ensure for Chameleons??

[Smeagoleon]

Hello,

I am relatively new to this forum. I've been reading posts and seeking information for months but I have never actually posted anything of my own before now. I just have a question I was hoping someone might be able to provide some insight into.

I have a one and a half year old female veiled chameleon and recently we took her to the vet for a check up and she got an ultrasound which shows three small eggs forming. The vet recommended ramping up her calcium intake in order to help the eggs develop properly. She has not been with a male so the eggs are not fertilized. (I should note, this will be her first time laying eggs).

As I mentioned, my boyfriend and I have been paying close attention to all the knowledge passed around on this forum (which has been a tremendous help over the last year and a half!). For some reason, we seem to remember seeing somewhere that some people give their chameleons a little Ensure to help with nutrition/calcium. However, I have been unable to find anything related to that recently. I don't want to give her anything like that until knowing for sure it would be safe to use and how to go about using it so I thought I would check in here and see if anyone knows anything about this subject.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Amy, Nick, and Sméagol

 

[Smeagoleon]

Thanks...

Thanks for all the replies guys. You've been a big help....

 

[SocialNumb]

Are you sure you didn't just read "To ensure proper ____" a little too many times?

 

[reptileguy112]

If your asking about supplementing you should use a reptile brand calcium every day, calcium with D3 every 2 weeks and reptivite every 2 weeks.

 

[JaxyGirl]

Hey people!
smeagoleon was trying to ask a serious question! Nice welcome for someone who has never posted on this forum before! Now that is sarcasm! Shame on you both

 

[SocialNumb]

Uhm, I wasn't being sarcastic at all. I searched the forums using two search engines in attempt to help and inform myself and nothing about feeding Ensure came up. However, the word ensure came up all over the place, as smeagoleon said: "For some reason, we seem to remember seeing somewhere that some people give their chameleons a little Ensure to help with nutrition/calcium"

Key words to me: "For some reason", and thats why I mentioned it. Nothing more.

I realize that doesn't help much but it just might if the person is mistaken. In as far as moving on to more useful information maybe.

 

[Kayroxyoursox]

Sorry I can't be of more help, all i can say is i did find a post on a different site from someone who had a very very sick female Cham who was egg bound, severely deficient on calcium and very dehydrated. She wouldn't eat or drink anything so the vet had suggested force feeding water and Ensure. I don't know if it's something that is recommended usually, and i don't have a female chameleon so I am not of much use

 

[Andee]

Maybe you mean Pedialyte?

 

[Kayroxyoursox]

Also, the op was kind of snarky with the "wow you guys are super helpful " comment I mean this is a forum so if you ask a question and no one knows the answer you can't really be offended or rude when no one answers.

 

[ridgebax1]

No need for snarky and I don't think anyone was being sarcastic. As was mentioned you should only use reptile formulated vitamins and calcium or calcium with D3 unless specifically directed by a knowledgeable reptile vet. Human supplements are not necessarily formulated with the proper calcium to phosphorous ratio; I know that chams with MBD can be given calcium glubionate but again this usually under the supervision of a vet. So if the vet recommended extra calcium (and I imagine it would be plain calcium) that is OK; also make sure to provide a laying bin for her to dig in. Becoming egg bound is far more serious a complication for her and that truly could kill her dead in a relatively quickly. Forum member Dez made a nice video on the proper set up.