How do you supplement?!?!

[hbskeet]

Ok so my supplementing schedule goes like this Rep Cal w/D3 twice a week and Rep Cal w/vitamins twice a week. What I want to know is how many crickets/roaches do you dust? Do you dust one really good and leave the rest normal? Do you dust all of the food items that day? Let me here what you peeps do. With my adult panther I use to dust the same schedule but only fed him every other day and heavily dusted two items each time. This is the first time owning a juvenile panther who eats tons everyday so I'm trying to figure out how much is enough when dusting. Any feedback would be great!! Thanks!!

 

[suzi]

I dust all mine when I free range and am doing my plain calcium because they are going to come off of a lot of them after 4 hrs. When I do my D3 and multi I try and hand feed 2 feeders to make sure they get it. But that's just me

 

[Hoj]

in my opinion you are way overdoing the supplements

i would used rep-cal with d3 2 times a month MAX and same for the mutivitamin
jmo
hoj

 

[pbveiled]

I think you may be over supplementing. Most people here suggest the following schedule:

Calcium w/o D3 every feeding
Calcium w D3 twice a month
Multi vitamin twice a month

Hopefully others will post there schedule/suggestions.

I lightly dust all feeders.

Good gut loading is also just as important as proper supplementation.

 

[SonTigerPantherCham]

Most HERE recommend the cal no d/3 every day, d3, herptivite 2x a month.
but my breeders of 30 plus years have a sched that resembles hbskeet's. But they add the herptivite 2x a week as well. Even in to adulthood.
They have no eye issues, no mbd, no tongue issues, no breeding issues.

I have often wondered where the cal everyday, others twice a month came from.
I would love some insight from our long time members, y'all might be able to help me out

 

[Ace]

Most HERE recommend the cal no d/3 every day, d3, herptivite 2x a month.
but my breeders of 30 plus years have a sched that resembles hbskeet's. But they add the herptivite 2x a week as well. Even in to adulthood.
They have no eye issues, no mbd, no tongue issues, no breeding issues.

I have often wondered where the cal everyday, others twice a month came from.
I would love some insight from our long time members, y'all might be able to help me out

this is true but also no one does their gutload exactly like the kammers too

so if they maybe lacking something , and over supplementing that they already have then ir can cause issues

i am sorta was in the middle between the forums and the kammers dusting schedules

but thanks to repashy its alot easier

 

[kinyonga]

Here's some information I hope will help you with things like supplements, gutloading, etc....
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.

Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).

If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).

Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)

Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)

Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.
Please note that various supplements have various amounts of D3 and vitamin A and so some can be given more often than others. The idea still is not to overdo the fat soluble vitamins like D3 and prEformed vitamin A.

Here are some good sites for you to read too...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.

 

[hbskeet]

great info peeps. well I gutload my roaches w super chow form tikitiki but also offer them other things as well i.e. carrots, orange, etc. Also TikiTiki's website suggests the same supplements I use just hitting the w/ d3 and multivitamins once a week instead of twice. An I'm pretty sure Chad and Darcy gutload with the same stuff since they sold it to me. So I should be ok. Plus, Ed over at Kammerflage said my supplementing is fine and I've never had a problem. I just wanted to know how much dust was being used at each dusting.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Ok so my supplementing schedule goes like this Rep Cal w/D3 twice a week and Rep Cal w/vitamins twice a week. What I want to know is how many crickets/roaches do you dust? Do you dust one really good and leave the rest normal? Do you dust all of the food items that day? Let me here what you peeps do. With my adult panther I use to dust the same schedule but only fed him every other day and heavily dusted two items each time. This is the first time owning a juvenile panther who eats tons everyday so I'm trying to figure out how much is enough when dusting. Any feedback would be great!! Thanks!!

You may find this blog entry useful: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html

I would not use the RepCal with D3 twice a week. Once a week is quite sufficient if you are also using UVB producing light tubes. I use it twice a month roughly, with adults thats usually on fewer than 6 bugs a month but with babies that could easily be double as many insects per month. Similarily, if you are gutloading properly the RepCal vitamin product need not be used that often either. You do want a plain phosphorour and vitamin free calcium product for more regular use.