Chester222
New Member
What's the deal with vitamin A and how important is it to give you cham a supplement of it? I recently bought a nosy be from a breeder who swore by its importance.
Vitamin A
- Thread starter Chester222
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carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
you mean dusting your feeders with Vitamin A like you do calcium? Not sure what you mean. I give mine a multi vitamin that has beta caratene(Vitamin A) in it two or three times a month. that is sufficient enough. You can also gutload your feeders such as super worms and crickets with carrots. Vitamin A is obviously good for eyes and skin just as it is in humans.
Chester222
New Member
Hi Carol,
Here's the care sheet the breeder gave me describing vitamin A's importance:
Vitamin A deficiency is a common malady in LTC chameleons, either with WC or CB origins. This stems from the chameleons inability to synthesize real Vitamin A from common precursors, such as beta-carotene. This can be confusing when evaluating supplementations, as many dry supplements list Vitamin A benefits, but only as the precursor, beta-carotene, and not as “pre-formed” or in essence, real Vitamin A.
While lack of Vitamin A effects many aspects of chameleon health, the usual first observed symptom is the appearance of an unexplained eye irritation, manifested in difficulties in keeping first one eye open, and after a few days, both eyes are affected. The eyes will not appear sunken, or in any other way mis-shaped initially, although secondary problems, such as an infection, can follow. The initial observation is that it is causing irritation to the chameleon, and that it can't keep the eye open as normal. It occurs more often in larger animals, but sometimes occurs in larger juveniles. Successfully hatched chameleons seem to be born with a supply of Vitamin A, an essential ingredient for successful embryonic development, and fresh WC’s seem to be imported with a supply. Mother Nature seems able to provide this vitamin without problem. Without some real vitamin A in their diet, these stores will deplete. It is a difficult vitamin for the hobbyist to gut-load via crickets and insects though, and such attempts are usually ineffective.
Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, as is Vitamin E. It is most commonly sold in gel caps, with each gel cap containing approximately three drops of an oil solvent. It is available on-line from many suppliers, or is sold in most vitamin and health stores. The most common, and consensus most effective form of vitamin A, is a compound known as retinal palmitate. It is a common human food supplement as well. Depending on manufacturer, gel caps may contain 2000-15,000 iu’s (intravenous units) per gel cap. Read the label to insure you are buying a product with retinal palmitate as the Vitamin A. The solvent may be fish oil, which outside of its odor, is OK.
Vitamin A is toxic in large quantities. As you are dealing with an oil, a strong word of caution as well. Chameleons have an extreme dislike for almost any measurable quantity of oil introduced into their mouth. While inexact, usually a negative reaction starts to become likely to occur if a quantity of oil ½ drop or greater is introduced into an adult chameleon’s mouth, and is virtually guaranteed with 2 or more drops. This can induce vomiting and inhalation of the oil, possibly death. Fortunately, the amount of oil (and vitamin A) needed to effectively dose a chameleon is usually less than 1/20th of a drop. Again, an inexact science, but depending upon the concentration of the Vitamin A in the oil, your goal is to deliver a dose that contains approximately 100 iu’s per 50g of chameleon. An exceedingly rough estimate would be 1/20th of a drop of the oil in an average adult female panther chameleon. There is a reasonable margin for error. This can administered by puncturing one or more gel caps, and wetting a Q-tip with the oil, so that is is wet, but not dripping. You can then grab the chameleon behind the head, and when it says “Ahhhh”, touch the Q-tip to its inner gum, etc. It will likely chomp down, then let go of the Q-tip once released itself. Or, if you are able to hand-feed, swab the back of a cricket or such with a smear of the oil, and then coax your chameleon into eating it.
As a rule, we recommend this treatment to all adult chameleons once every two weeks. If an animal is showing symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency, such as eye closing with no other apparent malady, we recommend the dose daily for five days, then once every two weeks. In such cases where Vitamin A deficiency is the problem, the eyes usually improve on the third or fourth day, except in cases where the treatment has been delayed. In such cases, treat for 10 days, expecting to see improvement in 7-10 days. Good luck.
Jim Flaherty
The Chameleon Company, LLC
Here's the care sheet the breeder gave me describing vitamin A's importance:
Vitamin A deficiency is a common malady in LTC chameleons, either with WC or CB origins. This stems from the chameleons inability to synthesize real Vitamin A from common precursors, such as beta-carotene. This can be confusing when evaluating supplementations, as many dry supplements list Vitamin A benefits, but only as the precursor, beta-carotene, and not as “pre-formed” or in essence, real Vitamin A.
While lack of Vitamin A effects many aspects of chameleon health, the usual first observed symptom is the appearance of an unexplained eye irritation, manifested in difficulties in keeping first one eye open, and after a few days, both eyes are affected. The eyes will not appear sunken, or in any other way mis-shaped initially, although secondary problems, such as an infection, can follow. The initial observation is that it is causing irritation to the chameleon, and that it can't keep the eye open as normal. It occurs more often in larger animals, but sometimes occurs in larger juveniles. Successfully hatched chameleons seem to be born with a supply of Vitamin A, an essential ingredient for successful embryonic development, and fresh WC’s seem to be imported with a supply. Mother Nature seems able to provide this vitamin without problem. Without some real vitamin A in their diet, these stores will deplete. It is a difficult vitamin for the hobbyist to gut-load via crickets and insects though, and such attempts are usually ineffective.
Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, as is Vitamin E. It is most commonly sold in gel caps, with each gel cap containing approximately three drops of an oil solvent. It is available on-line from many suppliers, or is sold in most vitamin and health stores. The most common, and consensus most effective form of vitamin A, is a compound known as retinal palmitate. It is a common human food supplement as well. Depending on manufacturer, gel caps may contain 2000-15,000 iu’s (intravenous units) per gel cap. Read the label to insure you are buying a product with retinal palmitate as the Vitamin A. The solvent may be fish oil, which outside of its odor, is OK.
Vitamin A is toxic in large quantities. As you are dealing with an oil, a strong word of caution as well. Chameleons have an extreme dislike for almost any measurable quantity of oil introduced into their mouth. While inexact, usually a negative reaction starts to become likely to occur if a quantity of oil ½ drop or greater is introduced into an adult chameleon’s mouth, and is virtually guaranteed with 2 or more drops. This can induce vomiting and inhalation of the oil, possibly death. Fortunately, the amount of oil (and vitamin A) needed to effectively dose a chameleon is usually less than 1/20th of a drop. Again, an inexact science, but depending upon the concentration of the Vitamin A in the oil, your goal is to deliver a dose that contains approximately 100 iu’s per 50g of chameleon. An exceedingly rough estimate would be 1/20th of a drop of the oil in an average adult female panther chameleon. There is a reasonable margin for error. This can administered by puncturing one or more gel caps, and wetting a Q-tip with the oil, so that is is wet, but not dripping. You can then grab the chameleon behind the head, and when it says “Ahhhh”, touch the Q-tip to its inner gum, etc. It will likely chomp down, then let go of the Q-tip once released itself. Or, if you are able to hand-feed, swab the back of a cricket or such with a smear of the oil, and then coax your chameleon into eating it.
As a rule, we recommend this treatment to all adult chameleons once every two weeks. If an animal is showing symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency, such as eye closing with no other apparent malady, we recommend the dose daily for five days, then once every two weeks. In such cases where Vitamin A deficiency is the problem, the eyes usually improve on the third or fourth day, except in cases where the treatment has been delayed. In such cases, treat for 10 days, expecting to see improvement in 7-10 days. Good luck.
Jim Flaherty
The Chameleon Company, LLC
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
You need vitamin A in balance with calcium and D3 for eyesight, muscles and bones.
Excess preformed vitamin A can prevent the D3 from doing its job, and cause other issues. Pre-formed Vitamin A is very easy to overdose with, its a fine line between helpful and toxic. I use a vitamin powder with a beta carotene source of vitamin A because beta carotene (prOformed vitamin A) won't build up in the system like prEformed sources can. I do not provide preformed vitamin A and have long-lived healthy chameleons. Still, there is controversy about whether all/any chameleons can convert beta carotene into vitamin A, and its not known which insects do this either ...so That said, some feel very strongly that it is important to provide preformed vitamin A. Caution is warranted. I would suggest doing this in a very limited way, through the gutload rather than direct supplementation, or annually have a vet prepare an oral dose based on your chameleons weight.
More information regarding vitamin A:
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...rnals.com/vet/index.php?show=5.Vitamin.A.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/food-thought-12472
https://www.chameleonforums.com/vitamin-scares-me-12395/
Excess preformed vitamin A can prevent the D3 from doing its job, and cause other issues. Pre-formed Vitamin A is very easy to overdose with, its a fine line between helpful and toxic. I use a vitamin powder with a beta carotene source of vitamin A because beta carotene (prOformed vitamin A) won't build up in the system like prEformed sources can. I do not provide preformed vitamin A and have long-lived healthy chameleons. Still, there is controversy about whether all/any chameleons can convert beta carotene into vitamin A, and its not known which insects do this either ...so That said, some feel very strongly that it is important to provide preformed vitamin A. Caution is warranted. I would suggest doing this in a very limited way, through the gutload rather than direct supplementation, or annually have a vet prepare an oral dose based on your chameleons weight.
More information regarding vitamin A:
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...rnals.com/vet/index.php?show=5.Vitamin.A.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/food-thought-12472
https://www.chameleonforums.com/vitamin-scares-me-12395/
Chester222
New Member
thanks for all the resources!
