Supplements!

[chameleonjames]

Hello forum, today my questions are,

Does rep-cal calcium have an expiration date?

(because Repcal cal with d3
and herptivite does)

Is there other supplements i should use?

What is your supplement schedule?/ recommendation for a 2 month panther?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Calcium without anything else in it doesnt expire.
Vitamins do


Choose what supplements to use based on the types of prey/feeders you provide, and what you feed those feeders, and how often your animal is outside (getting natural light), etc.

Rep-Cal without the D3 will be used most often (whenever you use feeders that are higher in phosphorous than in calcium, such as crickets).
The Rep-cal WITH D3 is usually used only LIGHTLY about twice a month. This product has lots of D3, do you dont need to use it very often or on a large number of feeders.
Herptivite also about twice a month. Some people may suggest adding pre-formed vitamin A from time to time as well. Again it comes back to the prey variety, gutloading, etc.

Check out this blog entry:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html
it will give you lots of info to help you determine the best schedule for your particular situation

 

[ChromaChameleons]

Straight calcium will not expire. Its a mineral. there are no constituents that can degrade. Should be good for 1 million years.

 

[chameleonjames]

Thanks for the quick replys guys
Really appreciate it,

 

[CKC32327]

This is awesome! Check it out! https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

 

[SilverDragoness]

Is there any way we could set up a database like setup for supplements? Maybe a sticky thread or something like the plant database. It sounds like such a good thing to have up for different species as well such as Jackson's etc... I know there are differing opinions but perhaps we could get something started to point people to in general.

 

[kinyonga]

Here's some information I hope will help you with things like supplements, gutloading, etc....
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 (crickets, locusts, silkworms, superworms, tomato worms, phoenix worms, butter worms, once in a while waxworms, etc.) 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.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Is there any way we could set up a database like setup for supplements? Maybe a sticky thread or something like the plant database. It sounds like such a good thing to have up for different species as well such as Jackson's etc... I know there are differing opinions but perhaps we could get something started to point people to in general.

try these on for size:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/174-whats-supplements-brand.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html