supplementing calcium and D3 questions

[Vince]

I have a 3 and a half month old male jackson. Just wondering if i should be powdering everything he eats everyday or every other day, or something?

The only reason i ask is because i know they can over dose. I have raised him from birth and a have been supplementing everything and seem to have no problems, but i don't want any problems ether. So if i should cut back i would like to know thanks.

 

[jannb]

What all kinds of supplements are you using? You should use plain calcium at just about every feeding. Twice a month calcium with D3 and once a month a multi vitamin such as Herptivite. On the days that you use the D3 and multi do not use the plain calcium because they already have calcium in them and only lightly dust your feeders....don't make them look like ghost. Jann

 

[Vince]

im using this stuff called "Rep-Cal, Phosphorus Free, Calcium with Vit D3, Ultra fine powder.

So i should not be using this every time?

What are some common signs of over supplementation?

 

[jannb]

im using this stuff called "Rep-Cal, Phosphorus Free, Calcium with Vit D3, Ultra fine powder.

So i should not be using this every time?

Only use D3 twice a month.

 

[sandrachameleon]

im using this stuff called "Rep-Cal, Phosphorus Free, Calcium with Vit D3, Ultra fine powder.
So i should not be using this every time?

Right. Use this only a two or three times a month like jannb said. So long as you are using good UVB lights, changed out every six months or so, the chameleon will produce D3 on its own from the UVB, which in turn allows it to use the calcium in its system. Using the supplement is just a little insurance because UVB lights are not as good as the sun.

You need to get a calcium only powder. Wherever you got the RepCal you are using now will also sell a Repcal phosphorus free calcium supplement withOUT D3. Use that everyday on a few of the feeders. Most of the feeder insects we typically feed our chameleons have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous, so dusting at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder helps to make up for that.

To make it easy for me to remember, I use vitamins one weekend and D3 the following weekend, then back to vitamins for the next weekend, etc.

Gutloading your feederinsects should provide most of the vitamins your chameleons needs. But, again to be sure, use a vitamin supplement a couple times a week. I use a vitamin powder that has a beta carotene source of vitamin A, because beta carotene does not build up in the system, whereas vitamin A will. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene...so a little bit of preformed can be given once in a while. I personally dont supplement with Vitamin A, however occassionally what I feed my roaches and crickets has preformed vitamin A, so a little is getting into my chams. Just remember excess preformed vitamin A can prevent the D3 from doing its job and lead to MBD, as well as hypervitaminosis (cant spell)