Vitamin A Question

rydawg0014

rydawg0014

New Member
Hey everyone I just had a quick question about buying some fish oil to give my adult panther cham because from what I have understand/read on here, he has a vitamin A deficiency.

I know that Vitamin A can be toxic in large amounts so I just want to make sure that I'm fine buying some Vitamin A(IU:15,000) soft gels and giving him one tiny drop on a cricket or worm to get him back to his normal level.

I do dust with a beta carotene and other supplements on a regular interval (depending on what they are) so I wasn't sure if I should just get some beta carotene for him instead since they convert that to Vitamin A and not have the whole toxicity worry.

Thank you for any advice.
 
I'm shocked by the fact that you give fish oil to your chams.
We don't do this on the other side of the Atlantic :D

Reptivite is also a very bad supplement.

Personally, i never supplement my chams with "artificial vitamins". I just fed my insects very well, principaly with weeds, and pollen and a lot of good thing. In the water of my crikets, there is a mixture of miel, propolis and royal jelly.
Sometime, i give directly pollen, propolis and royal jelly to my chams.
The vitamin A is present in some plants that I give like carrot...and in the pollen. Also note that the bee larvae are rich in vitamin A and D.

And my chams are healthy...

I think that "artificial vitamins" are more dangerous than other things.
 
rydawg0014 said:
Hey everyone I just had a quick question about buying some fish oil to give my adult panther cham because from what I have understand/read on here, he has a vitamin A deficiency.

I know that Vitamin A can be toxic in large amounts so I just want to make sure that I'm fine buying some Vitamin A(IU:15,000) soft gels and giving him one tiny drop on a cricket or worm to get him back to his normal level.

I do dust with a beta carotene and other supplements on a regular interval (depending on what they are) so I wasn't sure if I should just get some beta carotene for him instead since they convert that to Vitamin A and not have the whole toxicity worry.

Thank you for any advice.
Click to expand...

Hi
What makes you think that it has a deficiency?
Anyways, a single tiny tiny drop one time will be fine, regardless. But be
cautious of more than that unless you are certain there is need.

Alternatively, feed your crickets or roaches some egg or liver or dog food (again, not on an ongoing basis).
Or periodically use a supplement powder that contains retinol / preformed vitamin A.

there is no certainty that chameleons (or many of the bugs they eat) necessarily convert beta carotene to vitamin A, at least not efficiently. That's why many people add some preformed vitamin A from time to time.

So while many people have had complete success without offering vitamin A directly (me included), many others feel a little from time to time is helpful.
 
sandrachameleon said:
Hi
What makes you think that it has a deficiency?
Anyways, a single tiny tiny drop one time will be fine, regardless. But be
cautious of more than that unless you are certain there is need.

Alternatively, feed your crickets or roaches some egg or liver or dog food (again, not on an ongoing basis).
Or periodically use a supplement powder that contains retinol / preformed vitamin A.

there is no certainty that chameleons (or many of the bugs they eat) necessarily convert beta carotene to vitamin A, at least not efficiently. That's why many people add some preformed vitamin A from time to time.

So while many people have had complete success without offering vitamin A directly (me included), many others feel a little from time to time is helpful.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure he has a deficiency due to one of his eyes being shut for the last 4 days. I read that it could be due to Vitamin A

I dont believe he injured it in any way and also I cleaned it with some selene just to make sure he had nothing lodged in there.

5 months ago he seemed to go through this and I took him to an exotic vet, which checked my lights and my supplements. They said that some chameleons just dont absorb nutrients the same as others. They told me that they had two panthers on the same diet and one would still have a deficiency every once in a while. They recommended that i do 1 drop of vitamin A fish oil on a cricket (or on a q-tip and just stick it in his mouth) to get him back into shape.

Thats why I wanted to come here and ask everyones opinion about 1 drop of fish oil. I don't want to poison him but also I believe the vet was correct with how some thing just dont absorb like others do (I give myself a B12 shot once a month. If i dont, my energy level drops so low that I sleep all the time lol)
 
I had a panther that had a Vit. A deficiency. Before i knew what it was, i took him to the vet. He thought something was just lodged in the eye. I knew that was not the case. I got on here and messaged the breeder and they gave me a link that confirmed my thinking of Vit. A deficiency.

My mom works at a health food store. She brought home a bottle of Vit A capsules. I would take one, and poke a small hole in it. Put a drop. Let me repeat. A DROP. on a cricket and HAND fed to make sure that one cricket got ate. I did that 4 times the first week, twice the second and then went to once a month. He was back to normal after the first week and had no more problems.
 
Nicolas said:
I'm shocked by the fact that you give fish oil to your chams.
We don't do this on the other side of the Atlantic :D

Reptivite is also a very bad supplement.

Personally, i never supplement my chams with "artificial vitamins". I just fed my insects very well, principaly with weeds, and pollen and a lot of good thing. In the water of my crikets, there is a mixture of miel, propolis and royal jelly.
Sometime, i give directly pollen, propolis and royal jelly to my chams.
The vitamin A is present in some plants that I give like carrot...and in the pollen. Also note that the bee larvae are rich in vitamin A and D.

And my chams are healthy...

I think that "artificial vitamins" are more dangerous than other things.
Click to expand...

Reptivite is not a bad supplement and the reason it was suggested was because it has a small amount of preformed vitamin A. I have been giving it to my chams twice a month for over 10yrs as a precaution because it is not proven that chams can convert beta carotene into vitamin A. There is also a eye drop for turtles that zoo med makes that works really good to for eye issues. I do agree though that powdered vitamins are not the best thing or a cure all i do think they work well in moderation though.
 
Last edited:
Sticktongue said:
I had a panther that had a Vit. A deficiency. Before i knew what it was, i took him to the vet. He thought something was just lodged in the eye. I knew that was not the case. I got on here and messaged the breeder and they gave me a link that confirmed my thinking of Vit. A deficiency.

My mom works at a health food store. She brought home a bottle of Vit A capsules. I would take one, and poke a small hole in it. Put a drop. Let me repeat. A DROP. on a cricket and HAND fed to make sure that one cricket got ate. I did that 4 times the first week, twice the second and then went to once a month. He was back to normal after the first week and had no more problems.
Click to expand...

Ok so I can do a drop like i was thinking. I just wanted to make sure and ask what everyone thought about it.

By any chance do you know what the IU of the capsule is or what I should use? I'd rather go lower IU for less chance of poisoning him with 1 drop.. but im not sure if 1 drop matters or not for that.

thank you for the information everyone
 
I still have the bottle in my "chameleon box" i believe. I'll look in it tomorrow and get you the exact brand and IU and all that stuff :)
 
Nicolas said:
I'm shocked by the fact that you give fish oil to your chams.
We don't do this on the other side of the Atlantic :D

Reptivite is also a very bad supplement.

Personally, i never supplement my chams with "artificial vitamins". I just fed my insects very well, principaly with weeds, and pollen and a lot of good thing. In the water of my crikets, there is a mixture of miel, propolis and royal jelly.
Sometime, i give directly pollen, propolis and royal jelly to my chams.
The vitamin A is present in some plants that I give like carrot...and in the pollen. Also note that the bee larvae are rich in vitamin A and D.

And my chams are healthy...

I think that "artificial vitamins" are more dangerous than other things.
Click to expand...

Hi nicholas, every species and individual is different on terms of the demand for certain vitamins and sources. Your particular chameleons and/or chameleons you have encountered arent as "finicky" to certain vitamins. On another note, it could also be that you may have good ways to supply there needs. I am interested in knowing the ingredients you gut load with and approximate quantities given.

I wouldnt knock these products ;) Fish oil and reptivite are great tools proven to help those in need. ;)

To the op: One drop or smear (on the back of a feeder) of the regular fish oil capsule you can buy at any health department will work. I would only do this once daily for three days. The Cod liver oil i buy has Vitamin A 1250 IU per soft gel/
 
Last edited:
Here is the ingredients in the reptidrops from zoo med for turtles i have used this for years with great success. There only like $4.00 to.

Ingredients: Water (isotonic saline solution), solubizing hydrotope, Vitamin A palmitate in an oil base, and cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12).

Maybe someone else can chime im and say whether these ingredients are any good. Thanks
 
ataraxia said:
I wouldnt knock these products ;) Fish oil and reptivite are great tools proven to help those in need. ;)
Click to expand...
Fish oil i don't know so i would not speak about.
For the "artificial" vitamins, I do not share the same opinion as you but i respect.


ataraxia said:
I am interested in knowing the ingredients you gut load with and approximate quantities given.
Click to expand...
I fed with principaly with weeds. I don't know if you have the same in your country.
I give unlimited.

Here is a list (non-exhaustive)but sorry, in french:
-Ortie
-Plantain (Grand et Lancéolé)
-Pissenlit
-Luzerne
-Trèfle
-Mouron des oiseaux
-Galinsoga à petites fleurs
-Pâquerette
-Laiteron
-Crépide
-Chicorée
-Sainfoin
I hope I have not forgotten anything.

There daily, at least, 3 of this plants and i change the kind every day.

Otherwise, i give plants i grow (in my room or in the garden) like Callisia repens, carrot, "cresson" (i don't know the word in english) etc...

I also give dry food like bran, yeast, pollen, currently mulberries etc...

And not forgotten, in the water the mixture of propolis, royal jelly and honig.

Almost all is biological.
I don't give cat or dog food because we don"t know exactly that there are inside.

;)
 
Just use Repashy calcium plus. It has all the preform vit. A in it your panther will ever need (provided it is otherwise healthy).
 
repashy super pig in your gutload is what i would suggest as a safe way to bring up the vit a intake safely.
 
 
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