These were your words before I ever posted:No one knows for certain - there have been no scientific studies (to the best of my knowledge anyhow).
And yet, you now acknowledge an awareness to Dr. Ferguson's work and beliefs. Secondly, the OP was somewhat of a newbie, and you have participated in other Vitamin A threads, yet you were discounting much of what others do believe and have expressed prior with "no one knows for certain". That is an egregiously inaccurate statement to make. A more accurate assessment would be that while you may not think much of it, many others swear by it, to include some of the biggest in the study, care, and breeding of chameleons.
Lastly, to discount the work of Dr. Ferguson and others as "anecdotal" is absurd. Was he supposed to spend more time and money ? His study was not "proper"? The work of Dr. Scott Stahl, Ardi Abate, and others was not "proper"?
I think what people expect here is that opinions be qualified, either with your own experience, or with information you can cite or link to. If you state something as fact, when it may actually be a minority opinion, might I suggest you be a bit better prepared for the critique which I hope someone will deliver.
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What I read by Dr. Ferguson was not a scientific study. The heading of the interview is something like "A Chat with Dr Ferguson", and the article is presented in an informal interview format. This does not suggest a great deal of expense or study, but opinion, beliefs. Thus, what I said remains accurate, despite your attempt to twist it.
I have never " discounting much of what others do believe " - that seems to be your position, discounting what people other than you and Dr. Ferguson have experienced.
On the contrary, I have always provided a balanced opinion, and have stated very clearly that many people choose to use preformed vitamin A. Re-read what I have said in this thread alone, and you will see:
"I do not wish to discourage anyone from giving their chameleons SMALL controlled amounts of Preformed Vitamin A. Anacdotal evidence suggests this is a safe and possibly desirable thing to do. "
and before you even joined the conversation:
"I do not provide Preformed Vitamin A to my chameleons. I use a fair bit of gutload and a dust containing beta carotene. My chameleons are fine. However they may get some indirectly from the variety of feeders I offer.
Other people insist that preformed Vitamin A is REQUIRED by chameleons. Offering a little is probably worthwhile and safe."
and also
Small amounts of quality Avian (bird) Pellets. Look for preformed vitamin A / Retinol on the label. Dont over do it. Too much preformed vitamin A can be harmful.
Indeed in many occassions, where i know a person is providing a very limited number of prey choices and is gutloading poorly, I've suggested that vitamin A is one of the things their chameleon may be deficient in.
The only caution I have ever provided, in this thread and elsewhere, is to indicate that too much preformed vitamin A can be toxic, something I think you also understand and agree with, and thus some caution is warranted.
When I speak to my experiences, I do not present them as facts. Unlike you.
You seem to have a continuing theme that because you have apparently been unsuccessfull unless you supplement with pre-formed vitamin A, that the rest of us must be wrong. You never bother to present BOTH opinions, never acknowledge the experiences of others who unlike you are successfull without preformed vitamin A.
I am not telling an untruth when I say I dont use preformed vitamin A, havent in move than ten years of keeping chameleons. Im not sure why you have so much trouble accepting that this is possible?
NONE of us know everything. Not even you.
You ask "what solution or cure have you been able to pass on to others that they could then replicate long-term in statistically significant quantity "
Im not sure what problem it is we are supposed to be offering a cure for, but assuming you mean vitamin deficiency, well I personally try to give much effort to suggesting a wide variety of well gutloaded prey insects. I feel - and this is my personal experience, not backed up with scientific studies
- that this is the best way to ensure a chameleon gets what it needs, in the most natural way possible. This may not be easy or reasonable for someone like yourself with a big operation, where factors of time and costs are signficiant, but it is pretty do-able for the individual with a single chameleon. Its doable for me, and I have quite a few of the lovely creatures.
This thread was not, Im quite confident, supposed to be a place for you to grand stand. The poster asked what he or she could feed his insects instead of fish food flakes, for Vitamin A.
My answer was
Small amounts of quality Avian (bird) Pellets. Look for preformed vitamin A / Retinol on the label.
Dont over do it. Too much preformed vitamin A can be harmful.
Only later do I say anything about my personal experiences NOT providing preformed vitamin A. Do you take acception to this answer? I cant see HOW you take acception to anything I have to say in this thread, given I often essentially somewhat support the same things you are saying.
) To begin with, half the "breeders" are actually "hatchers", but even so, none get "complete success". Zip. Additionally, I will make the educated extrapolation that for every chamemleon that is showing symptoms of deficiency, there are 3 that are deficient but not yet showing it visually. 
