calcium dusting
- Thread starter neonate
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JackAttack
New Member
so should one be dusting with only calcium? or a powder that has both calcium and D3........and if so , how much dust?this is for an adult veiled, and a 2 month old panther....
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Adults should have their feeders dusted with plain calcium at every other feeding and calcium with D3 twice a month and a multi vitamin dust such as Herptivite once a month. A young chameleon (under 8 months) should have their feeders dusted with plain calcium at just about every feeding and everything else would be the same. Lightly dust.......don't make the feeders look like ghost.
warpdrive
Avid Member
I can't speak for veiled, but I do have a care sheet from a reliable breader for panthers, here is what it says...
The conventional wisdom is that both a vitamin and calcium supplement should be provided to captive chameleons but with widely differing opinions as to "how much" and "how often". Babies and juveniles have higher requirements due to their rapid growth rates while adults and fully mature chameleons require less since they have reached full size.
One of the best ways to ensure chameleons are getting proper nutrition is through the foods they eat. Supplements are in addition to a healthy diet. When we supplement, it is done "lightly and routinely". The prey items should be evenly coated but not "laden down" or smothered with supplements.
We use the following supplement products:
Herptivite (multivitamin with beta-carotene) - Mondays and Thursdays
Rep-Cal Calcium (calcium with vitamin D3 - depending on indoor or outdoor use) - Tuesdays and Fridays
Miner-All (calcium with essential trace minerals (no D3)) - Wednesdays and Saturdays
We alternate use between these three products. The babies, juveniles and egg-laying females receive vitamin products twice a week and calcium four days a week. Our adult males are supplemented with vitamins and calcium one time each per week.
so for your baby pather try dusting once a day with a different product, 1x multivitamin, 1x calcium W/D3, 1x calcium with trace minerals, then repeat for the next 3 days...sundays no dusting.
I'll bet that your veiled is about the same as panther in requirements.
JackAttack
New Member
ok, so i have a dust that the pet store recommended........they said to dust with it every other day for grown chams, and every day for growing chams.......here's the ingredients.....well here's a link to some info on the product.......let me know what you think
warpdrive
Avid Member
to me, that is a multivitamin. it should be used on babys and growing chameleons about once or twice a week.
since it has D3 in it, you will still need some calcium dust w/o D3.
something like this....
http://www.everythingforpets.com/calpyso_cricket_dust.pet/use.id.5.item_id.4831.dept.1304/
beeze
Avid Member
Here's what the Rasing Kitty blog says about supplements:
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/supplements.html
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/supplements.html
JackAttack
New Member
ok, so according to that, i should be dusting with calcium every other day, and give this Reptivite twice a month......does that sound about right for an adult veiled? as well as a baby panther? also this "multivitamin" i have says it has precipitated calcium carbonate in it......
JackAttack
New Member
its pretty strange, this is not my first cham and i always had just one duster......
Zen Reptiles
Avid Member
LIGHTLY people, dust lightly.
You just need a small amount if you're going to dust every other feeding.
The only times you should be dusting frequently is for babies and gravid females. The rest of the time, you should be dusting sparingly.
A big problem in all reptile keeping is over-supplementation.
Also, don't mix your calcium with your vitamins. Vitamin e, a, AND d3 all compete for absorption in the gut, soooooo this means not all of them are absorbed at full capacity if used together.
Also it stresses out the kidneys.
Dusting lightly is important.
You just need a small amount if you're going to dust every other feeding.
The only times you should be dusting frequently is for babies and gravid females. The rest of the time, you should be dusting sparingly.
A big problem in all reptile keeping is over-supplementation.
Also, don't mix your calcium with your vitamins. Vitamin e, a, AND d3 all compete for absorption in the gut, soooooo this means not all of them are absorbed at full capacity if used together.
Also it stresses out the kidneys.
Dusting lightly is important.
JackAttack
New Member
ok, dust lightly,,,,,,,,,,but with what? so i shouldnt be using a calcium suppliment as well as a vitamin one??? im confused..........
GooglezNvincent
New Member
So what are the negative side effect if people dust heavily, also what if people use d3 every day instead of the non d3 vitamins?
Clifford
New Member
I dust with calcium lightly on almost every insect.
Like JannB, I use a D2 calcium less often, about every other week. If your chameleon goes out in the real sunshine, you may not need the D3 at all. I use a vitamin powder once a week, but only on one insect, so its not much at all. I gutload the insects.
JackAttack
New Member
http://www.everythingforpets.com/zo...le_vitamins.pet/use.id.5.item_id.6621.dept.7/
this is a link to what the pet store told me to dust daily with for my baby panther, and every other day for my grown veiled..........
this is a link to what the pet store told me to dust daily with for my baby panther, and every other day for my grown veiled..........
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