T Rex Chameleon Dust? Opinion

[gerhartrx]

Here is the description:
Sandfire Super Foods Completes the nutritional value of feeder insects. This is to be used every feeding. Just dust your crickets, and feed! This is specifically designed for chameleons

What does everyone think about this product as a vitamin supplement? Thank you.

 

[seanUTD]

Here is the description:
Sandfire Super Foods Completes the nutritional value of feeder insects. This is to be used every feeding. Just dust your crickets, and feed! This is specifically designed for chameleons

What does everyone think about this product as a vitamin supplement? Thank you.

What's the ingredient list look like?

 

[gerhartrx]

Ingredients

Ingredients

Calcium caseinate (source of isolated protein), calcium carbonate, honey powder, dicalcium phosphate, bee pollen, defatted wheat germ meal, alfalfa meal, spirulina algae, rosehips powder, haemotococcus algae, marigold extract, kelp meal, rosemary extract, yucca extract, natural mixed tocopherols (as a preservative), vitamin A acetate, d-activated animal sterol (source of vitamin D3), dried aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract, dried aspergillus niger fermentation extract, dried lactobacillus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium thermophilum fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium longum fermentation product, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product and dried bacillus subtilis fermentation product.



Guaranteed Analysis

Crude protein (min.) 25%, crude fat (min.) 1.5%, crude fiber (max.) 3%, moisture (max.) 8%, ash (max.) 8%, calcium (Ca) (min.) 14%, calcium (Ca) (max.) 16%, vitamin A acetate 20,000 iu/kg, vitamin D3 (min.) 4,000 iu/kilo.

 

[Bernie]

I was advised not to use this daily as it has D3 in it. I now use plain calcium every feed with a separate calcium with D3 twice a month and vitamins twice a month.

 

[kinyonga]

It also has prEformed vitamin A in it.

Don't know if I posted this for you before or not...
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).

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.

 

[gerhartrx]

I went ahead and followed exactly what you said to get the additional supplements and will follow your advise on giving to Yoda. I appreciate the help.

 

[gerhartrx]

Yeah the D3 worried me too. I ended up getting some stuff without D3. Thanks

 

[Psi]

I was advised not to use this daily as it has D3 in it.

Was there any facts behind that?
There's no problem using D3 regularly, assuming the dosage is correct.

Also 4k iu/kg, you would STILL need a d3 dusting supplement using that, it simply doesn't give anywhere close to enough d3.