IS GIVING REPTIVITE WITH D.3 AND VIT.A EVERYDAY GOOD FOR THE DUSTING of my female v!?

[CamiGirl89]

I would listen more to what the people above me are telling you. This forum is dedicated specifically to chameleons, not any other type of animal. All the information they are telling you is correct. I wouldn't get mad at any of them for any of the info given. They are correct about the temperatures for sure, any young female veiled kept at a temp of 95+ degrees in a given area is going to be unhappy. The AC outside of the cage won't matter, because she only needs the temp under her basking light alone to be 80-85 degrees. The rest of the cage should be cooler, around 74ish degrees at the bottom or throughout so that she can get away from the hot spot if she needs to. Sometimes eating plants can be a sign of dehydration, because there is water within the plant so the chameleon decides to munch on plants. However, some chams are odd and just enjoy a taste every once in awhile. Other than your orchid, what is in the terrarium? I thought you said above that there were no real plants, did you get some new ones? Maybe she is exploring them?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Oh MANNN THANKs EVERYONE FOR FANALY ANSWERING ALL MY QUESTIONS[=
right now she has started eating her owed plan not to long ago and i have an orchid in her cage as well with some other plants she likes to bite on and the orchid is her favor spot to be, is there any suggestions about the plans? and i was planing to put in a fugger machine for the humidity? i dont know i feel like im doing a crapy job at taking care of her so forgive me if i tend to spazz out on people here is just everyone opinon is so diffrent then everyone elses you know

no worries
Its good that you are asking questions and that you care enough to make changes.

I dont know about using orchids. I prefer pothos, ficus, or schefflera.
Until you start measuring the humidity, you wont know if you need a fogger. A dripper might be a better choice, to start with.

 

[shineru]

Yes i do understand and get that 100% and i dont care or even mind everyone telling me more info because this will only help me give my cham a better life now heres the thing i aint get mad at no one i just feld like everyone was just beating around the bush i needed to know if what im giving her or what the vet said was right because then she can die on a over dozed and let me tell you all of the other stuff wont matter if shes dead, but anywhosz IM MUCH APRECIATED FOR EVERYONE HELP ! IM GOING TO TAKE MORE PIC'S OF HER N HER CAGE SO EVERYONE! CAN PLEASE GIVE ME MORE HINTS OR TIPS ON HOW TO INPROVE HER LIFE, you dont understand how hard it was for me to find a chameleon in Brooklyn new york and now that i got one i meet some breeders and honestly if i get everything right with tinny my chameleon i want to start breading and even doing more research about chameleons for everyone to enjoy and read. i a person who didnt like reptile but only turtles and dogs, i gotta say i fallen inlove with chameleons i honestly cant wait to seem each and everyone of them well once againg if anyone has any tips on me been a breeder or anything else with be much apreciated

 

[shineru]

Also! sandra now that i have you with me right one major concern right now i also have and its her laying eggs and well me not been prepare for her to lay them and dieing cause of it also

 

[Olimpia]

This is a great blog all about egg laying and what to do: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html

 

[shineru]

Thanks ! thank you so much for all of your help also if i would want to buy a chameleon from a breeder insted of a petstore who do you guys recomend ?

 

[Elizadolots]

Thanks ! thank you so much for all of your help also if i would want to buy a chameleon from a breeder insted of a petstore who do you guys recomend ?

I recommend you look at the board sponsors. Many of them sell chameleons and if they were bad they would not get to stay sponsors.

 

[Chris Jury]

Well, if you are feeding a variety of well gutloaded prey, daily supplement use with ANY brand is unnecessary. Certainly I would not dust daily.

That said, many people do frequently use all-in-one type products successfully. There is no need to over-react to the use of the Reptivite product any more than the use of Repashy.

Zoo med Reptivite contains:
Guaranteed Analysis (minimum amounts)Vitamins: Per Lb. (454 gm)Vitamin A (Fish Liver Oil) 100,000 I.U.Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) 10,400 I.U.Vitamin E (dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate )100 I.U.Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) 1400.00 mg.Folic Acid 48.00 Mg.Vitamin B1 (Thiamine HCl )75.20 mg.Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 124.80 mg.Niacin 300.00 mg.Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCl) 30.40 mg.Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamine) 3040.00 mcg.Biotin 12,000.00 mcg.Pantothenic Acid (Dicalcium Pantothenate) 849.60 mg.Minerals and Electrolytes:Calcium (Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate)(21.2%) 96.00 gm.Phosphorus (Dicalcium Phosphate) (10.6%) 48.00 gm.Iodine (Kelp) (.0002%) 960.00 mcg.Iron (Ferrous Fumerate) (.045%) 200.00 mg.Magnesium (Oxide) (.26%) 1200.00 mg.Copper (Sulfate ) (.045%) 200.00 mg.Manganese (Carbonate) (.0077%) 35.20 mg.Sodium (Chloride) (1.63% )7400.00 mg.Zinc (Oxide) (.045%) 200.00 mg.Potassium (Chloride) (1.76% )8000.00 mg.Amino Acids: L-Glutamine 32.0 mg., L-Arginine 52.8 mg., Isoleucine 10.7 mg., Lysine 52.8 mg., L-Leucine 52.8 mg., L-Alanine 20.8 mg., L-Cystine 32.0 mg., L-Phenylalanine 10.7 mg., L-Serine 10.7 mg., L-Threonine 20.8 mg., L-Tryptophan 20.8 mg., L-Tyrosine 20.8 mg., L-Valine 20.8 mg., Glycine 42.7 mg., L-Methionine 20.8 mg., L-Aspartic Acid 52.8 mg., L-Glutamic Acid 148.8 mg., L-Histidine 10.7 mg.
INGREDIENTS: Dicalcium phosphate, Precipitated Calcium carbonate, Maltodextrins, Salt, Potassium chloride, Choline Bitartrate, Manganese Sulfate, Ascorbic Acid, L-Arginine, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, a-Tocopherol Acetate, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine, L-Threonine, L-Glutamine, L-Alanine, L-Glutamic acid, Calcium pantothenate, L-Phenylalanine, Dried Kelp, L-Tyrosine, Lecithin, Ferrous fumerate, L-Cystine, L-Histidine, Glycine, DL-Methionin, L-serine, L-Aspartic Acid, Niacin, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin A Acetate, Riboflavin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement.

You can compare the above to this recently popular all-in-one
Repashy Calcium Plus
Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein min. 2%, Crude Fat min. 0.2%, Crude Fat max. 0.6%, Crude Fiber max. 1%, Moisture max. 8%, Ash max. 35%, Calcium min. 17%, Calcium max. 20%, Phosphorus min. 0.6%, Vitamin E min. 2,000 IU/lb, Vitamin D min. 20,000 IU/lb, Vitamin A min. 200,000 IU/lb. Total Carotenoids min. 500 mg/lb.
INGREDIENTS: Calcium Carbonate, Dried Kelp, Cellulose (as carrier), Brewer’s Yeast, RoseHips, Calendula Flower, Marigold Flower Extract, Phaffia Rhodozyma Yeast, Paprika Extract, Spirulina Algae, Turmeric, Salt, Potassium Citrate, Magnesium Gluconate, Canthaxanthin, Calcium Propionate and Potassium Sorbate (as mold inhibitors), Natural Flavoring, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract and Mixed Tocopherols (as preservatives), Vitamins (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D Supplement, Choline Chloride, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Beta Carotene, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement).

Ha, this is outstanding--thanks for posting Sandra!

So the newer supplement that folks are swearing by because of the low vits. A and D3 content and recommending as replacement for an older supplement actually has twice as much vits. A and D3 as the old supplement. Oh the irony here is rich!

This is one of a huge number of pieces of common knowledge in this hobby that turns out to be, unambiguously, utter nonsense. The amount of outright mythology in this hobby is seriously frustrating at times...

cj

 

[AllFallDown]

Ha, this is outstanding--thanks for posting Sandra!

So the newer supplement that folks are swearing by because of the low vits. A and D3 content and recommending as replacement for an older supplement actually has twice as much vits. A and D3 as the old supplement. Oh the irony here is rich!

This is one of a huge number of pieces of common knowledge in this hobby that turns out to be, unambiguously, utter nonsense. The amount of outright mythology in this hobby is seriously frustrating at times...

cj

I think all hobbies are like that. Reef keepers are worse!

 

[AllFallDown]

Oh, I also meant to say, reptivite is what I have been using. I have only had L.B. for about 2.5 months now so I can't comment on long term usage but it is what I am using right now.

 

[Chris Jury]

I think all hobbies are like that. Reef keepers are worse!

Some reef hobbyists definitely are, but that hobby seems at least somewhat more based in science and less in myth and rumor to me, but it's also possible that hanging out largely with advanced hobbyists over the last several years has skewed my perception I dunno, when ideas like chameleons must be kept in screen enclosures and not solid-sided/glass ones is a generally agreed upon pillar of the hobby, and it is not only wrong but actually seriously detrimental in many circumstances, I can't help but feel like there is a whole lot of woo and not nearly enough facts or critical thinking. We need more fact-based thinkers (of which there are *many* here) and fewer armchair experts.

cj

 

[AllFallDown]

Some reef hobbyists definitely are, but that hobby seems at least somewhat more based in science and less in myth and rumor to me, but it's also possible that hanging out largely with advanced hobbyists over the last several years has skewed my perception I dunno, when ideas like chameleons must be kept in screen enclosures and not solid-sided/glass ones is a generally agreed upon pillar of the hobby, and it is not only wrong but actually seriously detrimental in many circumstances, I can't help but feel like there is a whole lot of woo and not nearly enough facts or critical thinking. We need more fact-based thinkers (of which there are *many* here) and fewer armchair experts.

cj

I would be interested in discussing this further. I am curious about your thoughts on wire vs. Glass enclosures. When you say it is nor only wrong but just plain dangerous what do you mean? (Perhaps a new thread is in order?)

[Edit] I deleted my initial comments on reef keeper as I did not make my point very clear. I will add back in when I have had a chance to consider my point more thoroughly.

 

[AllFallDown]

Ah, OK. You were the one that started that thread on glass enclosures. I remember reading that when I first got here.

 

[Olimpia]

No, that was Chris Anderson who has the thread on "For those of you that think you can't keep chameleons in glass" or something along those lines.

I will agree, there is a lot of "truthiness" floating around that certainly isn't the law or the only way to do anything, but for the most part we do it to keep it simple for new members. I remember once I was explaining my supplement schedule to someone and it was the most complicated thing for this member. They expected to hear that on these days I supplement X and on these others I use Y and Z. But I mix up what I use depending on what I'm feeding, so no two weeks have the same schedule. That much chaos is too confusing to someone who hasn't read up on what each supplement does in the body, what food items contain what, what gutloads add what to a feeder, etc. etc. So we try to give easier info to give people a foundation and then they can go from there with more independent research.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I will agree, there is a lot of "truthiness" floating around that certainly isn't the law or the only way to do anything, but for the most part we do it to keep it simple for new members. I remember once I was explaining my supplement schedule to someone and it was the most complicated thing for this member. They expected to hear that on these days I supplement X and on these others I use Y and Z. But I mix up what I use depending on what I'm feeding, so no two weeks have the same schedule. That much chaos is too confusing to someone who hasn't read up on what each supplement does in the body, what food items contain what, what gutloads add what to a feeder, etc. etc. So we try to give easier info to give people a foundation and then they can go from there with more independent research.

^^^^ ditto
people want easy answers, but those are hard to give!

 

[HolyToledo]

Twister's Lessons on Nutrition:

In my opinion, there is soooooo much more you need to learn before you even begin to think about becoming a breeder! You need to start out with healthy animals and support their lives with healthy foods and good nutrition practices way before you start getting into the breeding issue.

I have to admit, the nutrition and supplement issue is very confusing!

When I started out, it was just with the basic supplement schedule. Then when we found out that Twister had issues metabolizing supplements, I had to learn alot quickly!

I think that supplements are like vitamins for people. They help but do not work for life support. Just like us, nutritional intake for our chameleons is very important. sandrachameleon's blogs and info are amazingly important especially if you are like me and just can't grasp the concept of how everything works in their little bodies. I have researched and studied all the vitamin/supplement info that I could find, but still find it a bit confusing and I'm sure I'm not alone feeling that way.

Not all chameleons can metabolize "fake" nutrients (supplements and even possibly UVB lighting) and there are more of them out there than most people are aware of but with proper diet and natural sunlight most people don't find problems with their chams. If you are in a location where you have to substitute UVB for exposure to natural sunlight, nutritional balance is even more important and not just relying on supplements for their nutritional needs.

Important basics:
**Fruits and veggies are an important part of the diet and a variety should be offered to the chams, not just used to feed the feeder bugs.
**Bugs that we use as feeders have different nutrient values.
**What we feed or "gutload" their feeder bugs with changes the nutritional value of their feeder bugs and just because what we feed the bugs may be good for the bugs doesn't mean it is the best we could be giving to our chams. (Read sandrachameleon's blogs/info on nutritional foods/gutloads!)
**Quantity and quality of UVB exposure changes the amount of D3 supplements needed.

 

[shineru]

Important basics:
**Fruits and veggies are an important part of the diet and a variety should be offered to the chams, not just used to feed the feeder bugs.


okay how do i feed my chamm fruits and veggies?!

 

[nick1276]

Supplements

I'm having a hard time finding one without D3, and I couldn't find the one listed above "Rapashy ICU" even on the Repashy website....

can you direct me to a good place to buy these supplements

thanks

 

[HolyToledo]

Chop into little bits or slice into pieces about the size of the feeders you give your cham.

How do you usually feed? Do you hand feed, cup feed or just let the bugs loose in their cage? Fruit and veggies can be done the same way. Offer some on your finger if you hand feed. In a cup for cup-fed critters or just put some on a branch or leaf close to where they hang out alot if the other two options don't work out.

You don't want to leave the stuff in for days so it gets icky. I would just give it to mine in the morning and if there was any left that night at lights out, clean it out then.

It's easiest if you can just coax them to try tastes from your finger. If they are aggressive and hiss or gape, drop a little bit in their mouth to give them a taste. Mine wasn't too fond of very many kinds but would eat little bits here and there. Don't give up too easy though. Offer some anyway, even if they don't eat it. Maybe someday they will and every bit they do eat is better for them.

 

[shineru]

once againg thanks for everyone thoughs and for sandras help and opinion im going to read all i can i have also recently change the light positin and the tempeture its at 85 at its highest and the humidity is at 70 so thanks for the tip, and i was asking this someday i would like to do that but we are not talking about me doing this tomorrow, ofcorse i know that this a hard and big things to do specialy been that there's not much people who go out in the wild just to studie this animals wich is a verry sad thing i tell you my friends, but i most say out of all reptile chameleons are the best i cant get myself to be intrest in something more than this reptile. For the most part now im going to set myself up even more with my chameleon thanks with the help of everyone in here