Too Much Calcium

[slinko9]

Hi, I just picked up my new 5 week old Veiled Chameleon and was just wondering, since I am told to shake my feeders in a bag with Calcium powder every day, and my D3 supplement is also with Calcium, as well as my Vitamin supplement, and i am just about to begin gutloading feeders with Bug Burger, which has some Calcium in it, Ummmmm, is it possible to overdose the little guy with Calcium???
Just want to make sure I get this guy to a ripe old age!!!!
Thanks
Lu

 

[Alexl]

You need to make a difference between calcium given orally in an healthy chameleon, calcium given by injections and D 3 supplementation.

You can't overfeed a chameleon with calcium supplements given orally as long as the chameleon gets proper supplementation of Vit. D3 and UVB lightning. Calcium is absorbed by gut - if the chameleon doesn't need more calcium, gut will not absorb anymore and calcium will leave the chameleon's body via feces.

By injections, you can give a chameleon easily too much calcium and create a hypercalcinosis. And you can overdose vitamine D3 given orally, of cause, which may result in a hypervitaminosis. Hypervitaminosis D stimulates higher calcium absorbtion of the gut -> only in this case orally given calcium may lead to hypercalcinosis, too. The secret is not to overdose vitamine D3 and always giving the chameleon the opportunity to get enough UVB (via UVB bulbs measured by solarmeters or real sunlight outside).

 

[slinko9]

Thanks, all supplements are given orally!!! and its too cold up here now to do outside UVB,,,so he is gunna get thatwith my Reptiglo 5.0s!!!
Again thanks for clearing that up for me!!!!