Suggestsions on calcium

[rastamarley]

So I recently to my cham to the vet and identified that whil right now he is healthy and his bone structure is good there are a few warning signs to not getting enough calcium (doesn't curl tail quite all the way like he should). What do people around here use? I would like to hear.

 

[Thompson]

A lot of people here us Rep-cal calcium supplement as well as the d3 and herptivite ones. You'll use the normal calcium without d3 for most feeding and the d3 and multivitamins twice a month each.

 

[rastamarley]

I uise the normal one but have never used d3 perhaps I should....

 

[Thompson]

What supplement are you using for d3? Repcal isn't the only brand you can use, though it is very trustworthy.

 

[clarkrw3]

How about Repashy Calcium plus?

 

[DavidBuchan]

I uise the normal one but have never used d3 perhaps I should....

d3 is important, because without it the calcium is not absorbed properly. uvb light is used by chams to synthesise d3, so you need a uvb tube (reptisun 5.0 is most recommended), and also extra d3 once a month in captivity.

 

[Trundy]

How about Repashy Calcium plus?

I was also wondering if anyone used this... It doesnt say anything about d3.. I've had it laying around and havent used it and ordered instead the rep-cal...

 

[clarkrw3]

I was also wondering if anyone used this... It doesnt say anything about d3.. I've had it laying around and havent used it and ordered instead the rep-cal...

The Calcium plus is stated as a total all in one dusting. My understanding is that Kammerflage Kreations is changing their recommendation to this and have been testing in for over 2 years. So now they have raised chams on it exclusively and those chams have breed and the babies are doing well on it.

 

[Texas Ranger]

How about Repashy Calcium plus?

I am not a fan of this stuff. I am freinds with a big time gecko breeder and this is what he uses. But when he gave me some to try. My geckos would refuse to eat. And I noticed that all my geckos were quite large compared to his. And I woundered if it had something to do with the Repashy. This is just my experiance with it. And my opinion.

For my chams I use Repcal with and without D3, Herptivite, and Miner-all. I have had good results with these.

 

[molson101]

There is ALOT of calsium to choose from but you need Calcium with D3 and Without D3 it doesnt really matter.

 

[rastamarley]

d3 is important, because without it the calcium is not absorbed properly. uvb light is used by chams to synthesise d3, so you need a uvb tube (reptisun 5.0 is most recommended), and also extra d3 once a month in captivity.

hmm I have never heard this well okay I shall have to get some D3 I have a uvb light of course (the heat and uvb uvb in one from zoomed seems good to me) I think I will get some D3 I heard you only use that about twice a month? Then I will grab a few other things and see what works well I want to make sure my cham is good to go!

 

[DavidBuchan]

hmm I have never heard this well okay I shall have to get some D3 I have a uvb light of course (the heat and uvb uvb in one from zoomed seems good to me) I think I will get some D3 I heard you only use that about twice a month? Then I will grab a few other things and see what works well I want to make sure my cham is good to go!

Yeah, sorry, depends on the concentration of the brand you are using but d3 is usually given twice a month, with multivit once a month, and calcium with no d3 every day.
The uvb is a zoomed reptisun tube? Those are the best for Chams, as the coil ones can cause eye problems

 

[sandrachameleon]

David is correct.

You may find these blog entries about supplements informative:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/174-whats-supplements-brand.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html

and these links about lighting:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/98-uvb.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/68-lighting-links.html

 

[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.

A wide variety of insects that have been well fed and gutloaded should be fed to it. At that size you only need to feed it every two or three days. Feed it enough that it doesn't get fat (and, of course, doesn't get thin either).

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). Not sure how to tell you to dust WC insects if that is what you will be doing.

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 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.