what vitamins or calcium are needed
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kirekameleon
New Member
I use
I use ZooMed ReptiCalcium without D3 Phosphorus Free (most feedings, sometimes I skip), Rep-Cal Phosphorous Free Calcium with Vitamin D3 (twice a month), and I use Rep-Cal Herptivite with Beta Carotene Multivitamin (twice a month). If any body knows of reasons not to use any of these products, I would like to know. I bought what my local reptile store had.
kire
I use ZooMed ReptiCalcium without D3 Phosphorus Free (most feedings, sometimes I skip), Rep-Cal Phosphorous Free Calcium with Vitamin D3 (twice a month), and I use Rep-Cal Herptivite with Beta Carotene Multivitamin (twice a month). If any body knows of reasons not to use any of these products, I would like to know. I bought what my local reptile store had.
kire
Cricket
New Member
I have calcium w/d3 that's a powder but I could only find the vitamin and reg. calcium in a spray form.
Here's the story on supplements and the reasoning that goes along with them..
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.
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.
joshs frogs a site sponcer has great prices on supliments,I buy from them.I buy my reptisun 5.0 linular bulbs from petmountain.com. They have awesome prices on lights and they have free shipping coupons when you spend 60.00. witch is easy to spend as your cham collection grows, suppliments i use repcal w/o d3 most days(more often on babies) repical w/d3twice monthly repcal herpivite twice monthly
Elizadolots
New Member
Just tossing in that different chameleons have different needs. It seems you've been given great advice for Panthers or Veileds. Jackson's, Fisher's and other small mountain species require less supplementation. I don't know what you have.
Cricket
New Member
Me? If so, I have a veiled and a jackson.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thanks Sandra I will take a look. The answers to your Q's are....
Exo-Terra supplements. My Chams dont go outside due to poor weather. Feeders are small/medium crickets gutloaded with fresh fruits and veg. I have 2 males, 1 ambilobe and 1 yemen. Both youngsters.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
The exoterra calcium + D3 is not a high dose D3 product. You could use that weekly. However the Exoterra vitamin supplement also contains D3, so on weeks where you use the vitamin supplement you should skip the calcium +D3.
If you really are just using crickets right now, I highly recommend adding a variety of feeders.
BallstoWall30
Member
I do all the same like they do, calcium alone almost everyday bc the powder always comes off the crickets and then calcium with D3 twice a month and Minerall twice a month
clarkrw3
New Member
In talking with Libby over at Kammers she was saying they are changing there recommendation to using Repashy Calcium Plus at every feeding. They have been testing it out on chams for over 2 years I believe and feel at this point it is an all in one formula that works perfect for chameleons.
Also she didn't like the idea of giving baby chams the recommended (on chameleonforums) every feeding repcal w/o and repcal w/D3 twice a month and repcal multivit twice a month and felt like it could lead to deficiencies. She liked Sticky Tongue outside formula as well but seemed to think that the Repashy calc plus was the way to go.
Also she thought Repashy's new bug burger was a great cricket/dubia food.
Also she didn't like the idea of giving baby chams the recommended (on chameleonforums) every feeding repcal w/o and repcal w/D3 twice a month and repcal multivit twice a month and felt like it could lead to deficiencies. She liked Sticky Tongue outside formula as well but seemed to think that the Repashy calc plus was the way to go.
Also she thought Repashy's new bug burger was a great cricket/dubia food.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
this is more or less how i supplement young and old. none of my animals suffer deficiencies. Of course, one should not be relying on supplements for the nutritional needs of the chameleon. Supplements should be supplemental to good gutloading a wide variety of feeders.
clarkrw3
New Member
Yes I understand what you are saying. My call to Libby was because my 4mo cham has been miss firing a lot lately. I may be paranoid, or it really might be a problem and if it is I want to take care of it early. When I described what I have been feeding him (8 or so different feeders) and what I have been gutloading with (cricket crack, and different fruits and veggies) and the way I was supplementing and with what she immediately pointed to the supplementing and explained that what I was doing was VERY different than what they do with their chams. She thought what I was describing was a deficiency and told me I needed to be supplementing with vitamins 2 times a week or go with Repashy calcium plus everyday.
BTW sandrachameleon I love your blog and have all your instructions for gutloads from it down on paper and a shopping list once I find all the ingredients I will be making your gutloads
