Quick question about supplements

[EmilyD88]

Okay so I feed Solomon (2-3 month old male veiled) twice a day. I put probably 5-7 crickets in there, and he searches and destroys pretty quick. A. Am I feeding him enough (I worry about crickets hiding, but he seems to be plenty willing to hunt) and B. Do I need to be dusting both batches of crickets per day, or just one? I've been just dusting one batch right now because I don't want to overdo it.. If I am doing something wrong tell me now, I haven't even had him a week so we can still fix boo-boos lol.

 

[bradley]

I would lightly dust all feeders. What supplements do you have?

 

[camimom]

I also would lightly dust all feeders.

What supplement brands and types are you using?

 

[EmilyD88]

I also would lightly dust all feeders.

What supplement brands and types are you using?

It's Fluker's calcium without d3 and i have a Fluker's multivitamin for 2x a month

 

[Adventures]

This is a really great read all about supplements and proper feeding.

 

[camimom]

Ok you also need a calcium with d3 for twice a month.

 

[EmilyD88]

Ok you also need a calcium with d3 for twice a month.

Oh yeah just kidding i have that also. I liked someones schedule about multi vitamin on the first and third sunday and d3 on the 2nd and 4th

 

[EmilyD88]

This is a really great read all about supplements and proper feeding.

Thanks that was very informative!

 

[kinyonga]

Concerning how much to feed your chameleon...at that age, I feed them as much as they will eat in a minute or two at each feeding. They are growing at that age and you need to be sure that they get enough but you also don't want them to overeat constantly which is why I put a "time limit" on it. If they begin to look too pudgy then you can/should cut back a bit.

Here's some information I hope will help you ....
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.

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).

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.
Please note that various supplements have various amounts of D3 and vitamin A and so some can be given more often than others. The idea still is not to overdo the fat soluble vitamins like D3 and prEformed vitamin A.

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.

 

[EmilyD88]

Concerning how much to feed your chameleon...at that age, I feed them as much as they will eat in a minute or two at each feeding. They are growing at that age and you need to be sure that they get enough but you also don't want them to overeat constantly which is why I put a "time limit" on it. If they begin to look too pudgy then you can/should cut back a bit.

Here's some information I hope will help you ....
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.

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).

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.
Please note that various supplements have various amounts of D3 and vitamin A and so some can be given more often than others. The idea still is not to overdo the fat soluble vitamins like D3 and prEformed vitamin A.

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.

Awesome thank you! I do gutload my crickets with good greens and veggies, and give them the yellow... stuff. (?) And I have a repti-glo 5.0... I imagine it's close...

 

[sandrachameleon]

repti-Glo is fine, though the SUN is better.

More info on supplementing:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html

 

[Adam Harrelson]

you can do this

you can get a gutload by zilla that has calcium in it too.

 

[kitchensink]

I only have my one panther chameleon, but all the misting by hand is getting old, and the drippers don't seem to be enough as he is a bit dehydrated
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kitchen sink

 

[sandrachameleon]

try bigger drippers, dripping faster for longer

 

[noithat]

Your article is simply fabulous. It’s got a lot of interesting information that is well-written, engaging and intelligent. Your ideas are very smart and fresh. Thank you for creating such unique content for your readers.
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bathtubs