Vitamin A Plus Micro-Fine Vitamin A Supplement by Repashy Superfoods

[Alexander1]

Given the problems that come from lack of vitamin A, I'm looking into adding some to my chameleons diet, the multi vitamin I use now (HERPTIVITE) I believe uses a beta carotene instead.
Has anyone used this product? It's supposed to be a very fine powder that can be used to dust a cricket or 2 maybe once a month?
Vitamin A Plus Micro-Fine Vitamin A Supplement by Repashy Superfoods

 

[alphakenc]

provitamin A carotenoid is beta-carotene; other provitamin A carotenoids are alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin. I also love to gutload all my feeders with carrots n I do like to use The rep-cal. Herptivite,the carrots has lots natural source Vitamins A,plus lots insects love to feed on them.

 

[leedragon]

provitamin A carotenoid is beta-carotene; other provitamin A carotenoids are alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin. I also love to gutload all my feeders with carrots n I do like to use The rep-cal. Herptivite,the carrots has lots natural source Vitamins A,plus lots insects love to feed on them.

Hi man chameleons can´t convert carotenoids from carrots into A vitamin. They can not eaither absorve Avitamin that is no in oil form, so anything else like powder vitamin A is just being wasted

 

[Andee]

The feeders can however convert beta carotene in vitamin a otherwise how would they get it in the wild? However being fed straight beta carotene from a powder is no help to a chameleon.

 

[alphakenc]

Here is what I read from the previous post,its a debate ,u guys can decide....
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/vitamin-a.51101/#post-478760
I do use multivitamin n Gutload methods,so far I never had any problems.

 

[leedragon]

Here is what I read from the previous post,its a debate ,u guys can decide....
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/vitamin-a.51101/#post-478760
I do use multivitamin n Gutload methods,so far I never had any problems.

hey man it´s not a debate. there is a scientific paper on it. just browse around here a bit and you will find it.

 

[guanagator]

Liquid gel cap vitamin a is bioavailable for your chameleon and recommend 1-2x per month. Some species it seems to be more needed than others in particular when breeding to produce viable eggs.

 

[alphakenc]

hey man it´s not a debate. there is a scientific paper on it. just browse around here a bit and you will find it.

So r u saying no more dusting with the Herptivite since it has beta carotene in them?? Can u guys show me the scientific paper on it ,I would like to read them n Im sure everyone needs to know what to use on the multivitamin also.

 

[alphakenc]

Liquid gel cap vitamin a is bioavailable for your chameleon and recommend 1-2x per month. Some species it seems to be more needed than others in particular when breeding to produce viable eggs.

What type of the Liquid gel cap are u talking about?can u post the brand name for that ?

 

[alphakenc]

Here is what I found...
http://www.muchadoaboutchameleons.com/2012/03/chameleon-physiology-supplements.html?m=1
Which came from the forum resource link under the related links:
Why Different Vitamins and Supplements Matter - Resource Link

Here is what she wrote:
VITAMIN A: This vitamin is actually a compound, which functions in healthy eye function (by maintaining the eye lining), bone health, and cell division and differentiation, just to name a few. It is also important in maintaining the immune system. Often times, when eye issues are reported in chameleons, if it is not infection-related or due to injury, a couple doses of vitamin A will usually help correct the issue. Keepers that provide sources of vit A in their gut load, or supplement it, say they never or rarely report eye issues.

However, too much will also cause problems. Toxic levels of vitamin A will lead to liver problems, reduced bone density, and nervous system disorders. Vitamin A toxicity seems to be more related to high consumption of preformed vitamin A, over carotenoids like beta-carotene, frequently found in orange or dark green fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin A: Vitamin A comes in two common forms, preformed vit A, from animal sources (and is absorbed in the form of retinol) and beta-carotenoids, which are found in plant sources. The latter is most often found in orange or dark green fruits and vegetables in the form of beta-carotenes (which is easily converted into retinol), which are easily converted into vitamin A. Although it is unknown whether chameleons can convert beta-carotene into vit A, providing it is easy enough, as the same vegetables that provide other good nutrition (dark, leafy vegetables) can provide this as well. And although it isn’t sure it will help, it certainly can’t hurt. Preformed vitamin A, on the other hand, comes from animal products like eggs, liver, or dairy, and from some fortified cereals. Adding some boiled egg or fortified cereal to gut loads occasionally will add this vitamin into the diet. There are also some commercial products that supplement vitamin A to reptiles, their use will depend on the brand and the ingredients.

 

[guanagator]

What type of the Liquid gel cap are u talking about?can u post the brand name for that ?

The vitamin a caps sold for humans in drugstore, brand isn't important just look for retinol palmate as active ingredient. This is an area where there has yet to be an established rule of thumb, I know of some people using 8000 IU caps and some using 12000IU. @jajeanpierre any thoughts? Know you were looking more into this last time we corresponded. In one of the chameleon breeder podcast @DeremensisBlue goes into vitamin A supplementation as well but I'm not sure which one hazard of binge listening.

 

[alphakenc]

The vitamin a caps sold for humans in drugstore, brand isn't important just look for retinol palmate as active ingredient. This is an area where there has yet to be an established rule of thumb, I know of some people using 8000 IU caps and some using 12000IU. @jajeanpierre any thoughts? Know you were looking more into this last time we corresponded. In one of the chameleon breeder podcast @DeremensisBlue goes into vitamin A supplementation as well but I'm not sure which one hazard of binge listening.

If this is correct,I say they should update all the information,I been using Herptivite since the day one along with carrots for feeders which is considered the "GOOD" gutload for the feeders,it will have to switch to the Gel cap which probably has to soak on the feeder individually and feeding them to the cham.are we sure this is the only way to supplement our chams from now on??

 

[Virgil1972]

If this is correct,I say they should update all the information,I been using Herptivite since the day one along with carrots for feeders which is considered the "GOOD" gutload for the feeders,it will have to switch to the Gel cap which probably has to soak on the feeder individually and feeding them to the cham.are we sure this is the only way to supplement our chams from now on??

If the gel thing is small enough and the feeder large enough you could surgically insert it into the feeder.

 

[guanagator]

Here is what I found...
http://www.muchadoaboutchameleons.com/2012/03/chameleon-physiology-supplements.html?m=1
Which came from the forum resource link under the related links:
Why Different Vitamins and Supplements Matter - Resource Link

Here is what she wrote:
VITAMIN A: This vitamin is actually a compound, which functions in healthy eye function (by maintaining the eye lining), bone health, and cell division and differentiation, just to name a few. It is also important in maintaining the immune system. Often times, when eye issues are reported in chameleons, if it is not infection-related or due to injury, a couple doses of vitamin A will usually help correct the issue. Keepers that provide sources of vit A in their gut load, or supplement it, say they never or rarely report eye issues.

However, too much will also cause problems. Toxic levels of vitamin A will lead to liver problems, reduced bone density, and nervous system disorders. Vitamin A toxicity seems to be more related to high consumption of preformed vitamin A, over carotenoids like beta-carotene, frequently found in orange or dark green fruits and vegetables.

If this is correct,I say they should update all the information,I been using Herptivite since the day one along with carrots for feeders which is considered the "GOOD" gutload for the feeders,it will have to switch to the Gel cap which probably has to soak on the feeder individually and feeding them to the cham.are we sure this is the only way to supplement our chams from now on??

Here is another older thread on the topic. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/vitamin-a-v-s-beta-carotene.38163/ I use spirulina in my cricket gut loads and once a month a drop from a gel cap on a roach. I only supplement with repashy calcium plus for panthers and have them under T5 HOs with a 5.0 for UVB, they also get a lot of natural sun this time of year. There are lots of variables at play between D3 and Vit A but this has been what works for me, so far my panthers have not had any eye issues and no issues with eggs or reproduction. I'll have to go back and re listen but in one of the species specific chameleon breeder podcast the breeder was having very low succes rates with clutches then started using Vit A from gel caps and the mortality rate dropped to almost 0.

 

[alphakenc]

If the gel thing is small enough and the feeder large enough you could surgically insert it into the feeder.

What about the baby cham,I never use the gel cap,and their eyes are perfectly fine,how many tests has been done on this gel caps thing,Its not easy for most breeders to feed all the babies with this,there got to be some way to apply the Liquid in them.

 

[guanagator]

What about the baby cham,I never use the gel cap,and their eyes are perfectly fine,how many tests has been done on this gel caps thing,Its not easy for most breeders to feed all the babies with this,there got to be some way to apply the Liquid in them.

I only use the gel caps to supplement once they hit sub adulthood, I agree don't see how you could use the gel caps for babies that would be difficult.

 

[Virgil1972]

What about the baby cham,I never use the gel cap,and their eyes are perfectly fine,how many tests has been done on this gel caps thing,Its not easy for most breeders to feed all the babies with this,there got to be some way to apply the Liquid in them.

I use a National Geographic brand multi and my cham has not developed any problems.

 

[alphakenc]

I only use the gel caps to supplement once they hit sub adulthood, I agree don't see how you could use the gel caps for babies that would be difficult.

And usually I read from the forum post regarding the eye problems include in the baby cham also,this is very interesting to me,and they should update these info soon,Rep-Cal is been around for a long time,they will have to reform their multivitamin formula for this matter asap.

 

[alphakenc]

I use a National Geographic brand multi and my cham has not developed any problems.

And I use the Rep-Cal Herptivite,never had any complaints.

 

[guanagator]

And usually I read from the forum post regarding the eye problems include in the baby cham also,this is very interesting to me,and they should update these info soon,Rep-Cal is been around for a long time,they will have to reform their multivitamin formula for this matter asap.

I only keep chameleons so it's just a guess but since RepCal is targeted at a wider market this sensitivity may be unique to the biology of the chameleons. Given that different species of chameleon even seem to have different needs for this vitamin it may be something where different reptiles have vastly different requirements and who knows what species or research rep cal based its dosage amount off?