My supplement review

Grim Crow

New Member
https://www.chameleonforums.com/mem...titled-picture10228-picture2011415222654.html
So I couldn't find some of the recommended multivits so i tried to get close as possible.

The flukers is 2:1 phosph, and has d3 (powder)
the Exo Terra is just calcium (powder)
And the spray has: beta carotene, vit c, folic acid, vit b1, vit b2, niacin, vit b6, vit b12, calcium pantothenate, vit d3, potassium idodide, biotin

At the moment I'm using store bought cricket gut loads, one being a a high calcium dry and the other is that flukers "complete cricket diet" which is moist. I keep both food options in the cricket keeper with the crickets. I usually buy about 3 days worth of crickets and keep there so they have plenty of time to eat it.

My veiled is about 4 months, so from what i've read they have higher calcium/d3 requirements for proper growth. Was wondering if Alternating between the spray and calcium w/ d3 every other day, and just calcium powder in between and on the days i use the spray. Does that sound right?

Don't be afraid to scold me if i'm doing something wrong. Be harsh, I don't want to be wrong. I've seen MBD pics and its heartbreaking.
 
Most of us use the following schedule and it works with great success: Calcium without d3 every feeding. Calcium with d3 twice a month and the multivitamin twice a month also. Your cham is producing d3 by being exposed to the UVB light everyday so you try not to overload on the d3 with the supplement. I would highly suggest gutloading your crickets with some fresh fruits and vegetables: kale, mustard greens, collard greens, oranges, apples, carrots etc. Much better than the store bought. If you go to LLL Reptile online they have every supplement under the sun!!! I use a powdered multivitamin so I cannot comment on the spray as being bad or good but the majority of us do not use the spray.
 
I will order the reptivit supplements that everyone uses if you think they are better, just wanted to see if these would do since they are available locally, and would have to do until orders arrived if I had to order some. Oh and yes gonna work on getting fresh foods available as cricket gutloaders, we just dont have a very regular grocery store run routine. For instance we havent been to the grocery store in probably 3 weeks and I dont want to be feeding my crickets rotten veggies/fruits. Which is why I use the store bought gutloads. Next time we go grocery shopping I'm probably going to try and replicate one of Sandra's dry cricket gutloads (dry so i can keep longer).
 
Grim, your supplements should be ok. Just not sure on the spray. The other two powders should be good. I use Sticky Tongue Farms Minerall OUTDOOR(they make an indoor also) for my Calcium without d3, and then Rep-Cal for cal w/d3 and Rep-Cal herptivite for my multi. This is what my breeder uses so I figure they gotta be good!
 
Here is some information that I hope will help....
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption. Temperatures needed can vary with the species and age.

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 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.

Here are some good sites for you to read...
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://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
http://chameleonnews.com/02NovHorgan.html
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.

Hope this helps!
 
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