Uvb

[Iluvheidi]

Hey so ive never heard this before so I wanted to test this pet store person. I asked why the baby veileds had no uvb bulb. they said that they dust with d3 every dusting and that will offset the need for a bulb. I dont think this is correct becuase this little 2 month old baby looks like she already has mbd or at least to me showing the signs of it. (grabbing owns limbs and shaking while walking being the two I noticed in 3 minutes of looking.) maybe one of the forum vets can shine some light on this. thanks!

 

[Cait0420]

They need the bulb to absorb the d3,so they can absorb the calcium. isn't that the point of UVB?

 

[Iluvheidi]

They need the bulb to absorb the d3,so they can absorb the calcium. isn't that the point of UVB?

Well thats what i was thinking but she said she dust the food everyday with
d3 to make up for no uvb bulb.

 

[Djturna4thakidz]

That is a completely false line of reasoning. UVB and some heat are required at all stages of life, unless the chameleon resides outdoors.

Dusting everyday with Calcium w/ D3 is very harmful and can cause overdose. D3 is recommended every two weeks for veiled (2x monthly).

Calcium without D3 is recommended at every feeding, I dust with it 3-4 times weekly and provide plenty of outdoor time.

 

[kinyonga]

Cait0420...exposure to UVB allows the chameleon to produce D3 which then allows the calcium to be used.

D3 from supplements is ready to go and if too much is given it will lead to an overdose. D3 produced from exposure to UVB won't likely build up in a chameleon's system as long as the chameleon can move in and out of the UVB when it wants to.

 

[croastbeast]

Hey so ive never heard this before so I wanted to test this pet store person. I asked why the baby veileds had no uvb bulb. they said that they dust with d3 every dusting and that will offset the need for a bulb. I dont think this is correct becuase this little 2 month old baby looks like she already has mbd or at least to me showing the signs of it. (grabbing owns limbs and shaking while walking being the two I noticed in 3 minutes of looking.) maybe one of the forum vets can shine some light on this. thanks!

Thats a false line of logic. In a broad generalization- Vit D3 supplements are *theoretically* the same as the D3 synthesized by UVB exposure. *THEORETICALLY*. However, we still have no idea how much D3 is needed by any particular species fror proper calcification. Not a clue. But, the animals body does. That is why proper UVB exposure provides typically perfect results in bone development and d3/calcification (when calcium is proper). Thats also why it is relatively easy for us to overdose D3 with dietary supplements. Again, we have NO clue how much D3 is needed.

It goes much deeper and gets much more boring than this. Especially when consdiering herbivores vs omnivores or carnivores. AT any rate, the salesperson doesnt have a clue what theyre talking about.

 

[pigglett79]

I have read a couple research articles on chameleon metabolism. There was even one study that separated them in to groups of various level of supplementation and UVb lighting. Very interesting results.

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/140/11/1923.full


In my opinion the most important parts are UVb lighting, plain calcium dusting for insects with poor calcium to phosphorus ratios, multivitamin to fill the gaps and proper gutloading. I dont use D3, but my chameleons get natural sun.