ConnieCham
Member
What does everybody do to supplement their hatchlings? How much? How often?
Would like to make sure we're doing okay
Veileds by the way
Would like to make sure we're doing okay
Veileds by the way
Hatchling supplementing
- Thread starter ConnieCham
- Start date
Kaizen
Chameleon Enthusiast
I am still waiting for my first clutches to hatch, but I plan on supplementing no differently than I do my adults. I do have three very young (too young to have been shipped, I don’t know what the breeder was thinking) panthers, and I’m using the same supplements as my adult veileds.
cloverthechameleon
Avid Member
http://chameleonnews.com/02NovHorgan.html
Very informative website.
Personally I suppliment hatchlings feeders half the time. I continue my regular dusting schedule except on a day on day off schedule, meaning on the day on schedule they would be supplemented in the same order adults get supplemented. On the day off day they recieve zero supplementaion. Or simply put one day supplement next day no supplement repeat.
Very informative website.
Personally I suppliment hatchlings feeders half the time. I continue my regular dusting schedule except on a day on day off schedule, meaning on the day on schedule they would be supplemented in the same order adults get supplemented. On the day off day they recieve zero supplementaion. Or simply put one day supplement next day no supplement repeat.
Wow....I can't believe that it's been 17 years since I wrote that!
I didn't mention that I dusted with a vitamin powder. As I learned more I also changed my calcium dusting to almost every day lightly.
coastal_chameleon
Avid Member
calcium should be given lightly every feeding to help balance the cal/Phosphorus ratio .
@coastal_chameleon i agree!
cloverthechameleon
Avid Member
It’s a great article! I use a very similar method still to this day. I do not supplement with a d3 weekly and I incorporate a vitamin a supplement in low doses for juveniles. I agree with balancing out the phosphorus/calcium ratio especially with pinheads and fruit flies.
ConnieCham
Member
In the article it says you still give D3 although they have UV? Still the case?
@ConnieCham ...I only do the D3 once every two weeks now lightly....and leave them to produce the rest of the D3 they need from their exposure to the UVB provided. The idea with my supplementing is to provide some D3 from the supplements without giving so much that it leads to an overdose....D3 from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health issues but D3 produced from exposure to the UVB won't as long as your chameleon can move in and out of it at will.
You have to be careful with prEformed vitamin A (retinol, retinyl, palmitate, etc) too that you don't overdose it too. PrOformed vitamin A (beta carotene) won't lead to an overdose but it's not known if chameleons can convert it or not...so it leaves it up to you to decide if/when they need a little preformed.
So, what I do now is dust at almost every feeding lightly with a phos free calcium powder, twice a month with a phos free calcium/D3 powder and twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene source of vitamin A. With veileds I've never had to supplement with preformed vitamin A.
Make sure you feed/gutload the insects all...provide a good UVB light at a proper distance from the chameleons, and provide proper temperatures to aid in digestion...and of course some water through misting.
You have to be careful with prEformed vitamin A (retinol, retinyl, palmitate, etc) too that you don't overdose it too. PrOformed vitamin A (beta carotene) won't lead to an overdose but it's not known if chameleons can convert it or not...so it leaves it up to you to decide if/when they need a little preformed.
So, what I do now is dust at almost every feeding lightly with a phos free calcium powder, twice a month with a phos free calcium/D3 powder and twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene source of vitamin A. With veileds I've never had to supplement with preformed vitamin A.
Make sure you feed/gutload the insects all...provide a good UVB light at a proper distance from the chameleons, and provide proper temperatures to aid in digestion...and of course some water through misting.
