Recovering MBD
- Thread starter Robert9
- Start date
Cherron
New Member
He will lose his shakiness and his weakness. His bones will reharden, with time. Any disfigurement such as a crooked casque, broken limbs or even his foot turn backwards will likely remain with him the rest of his life. Good job realizing that there was a problem in time and getting him the help and treatment that he needs. Be sure to keep up with a good gutloading/dusting/lighting schedule and hopefully he will not have anymore related problems.
Calcium, phosphorous, D3 and vitamin A are the main players in bone health and play other parts in the body too. Its important that they are in balance. Look at what is in your supplements and what you feed to the chameleon and what you feed to the insects that you feed it.
Exposure to UVB allows the chameleon to produce D3 which allows the chameleon to use the calcium in its diet. The best source of UVB is the sun but UVB tube lights also will provide it. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic.
Appropriate basking temperatures aid in proper digestion.
Most feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous so dusting at most feedings will help to make up for this.
I dust with a vitamin powder twice a month. I use one with a beta carotene source of vitamin A because it can't cause an overdose. There is controversy about whether all or any chameleons can convert the beta carotene so some people use a little preformed once in a while. Preformed vitamin A can build up in the system though and excess can prevent the D3 from doing its job and lead to MBD.
If your chameleon only gets UVB light from tube lights you may want to dust with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder lightly a couple of times a month. D3 from supplements can build up in the system so don't overdo it.
The crickets can be given a wide assortment of greens and veggies to gutload them/feed them.
Hope this helps.
Exposure to UVB allows the chameleon to produce D3 which allows the chameleon to use the calcium in its diet. The best source of UVB is the sun but UVB tube lights also will provide it. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic.
Appropriate basking temperatures aid in proper digestion.
Most feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous so dusting at most feedings will help to make up for this.
I dust with a vitamin powder twice a month. I use one with a beta carotene source of vitamin A because it can't cause an overdose. There is controversy about whether all or any chameleons can convert the beta carotene so some people use a little preformed once in a while. Preformed vitamin A can build up in the system though and excess can prevent the D3 from doing its job and lead to MBD.
If your chameleon only gets UVB light from tube lights you may want to dust with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder lightly a couple of times a month. D3 from supplements can build up in the system so don't overdo it.
The crickets can be given a wide assortment of greens and veggies to gutload them/feed them.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for the advise-He has been on baby food/cricket/calcuim blend last 3 wks. Gave him mealworms this morning which he caught by mouth. Since this afternoon I noticed his mouth became alittle open on the lft side. is this soft jaw. Can this just now be showing up? Will go back to blended food thru syringe till gets better.
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