With or Without D3?

rabidmoose

New Member
Messages
45
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Well both, in a sense. The D3 helps to absorb the calcium, but too much can cause toxicity and liver failure.
You should coat the food with calcium 5 days a week, then calcium and D3 the other two days a week is a good rule and easy to remember!
You should also keep a small dish of calcium without D3 in the cage so they can get any extra if they need it.
Welcome to the forum! :)
 

Kiara1125

Beardie Tamer
Messages
136
Location
Arcadia, FL
Thanks! Since I bought the D3, how often should I dose that until I get some without D3? Also, what can I do if I were to just keep the D3 and not get the one without it? I'm wondering how many times I can dose a week, maybe 2-3 and then leave some into the dish?
 

Awag

New Member
Messages
64
Location
Montgomery Village Maryland
It is advised to not dust the insects with d3 and leave calcium with d3 in the geckos tank because they can overdose from too much D3. The calcium that does not have D3 also has added minerals that the dust with D3 doesn't have. You should get both supplements including a multi vitamin supplement. You can dust once or twice a month with the multi vitamin, every feeding with d3 and a shallow dish available at all times that has calcium without D3. This is at least what I do and none of my geckos have ever had any problems.
 

rabidmoose

New Member
Messages
45
Location
British Columbia, Canada
I personally use rapashy super foods multi vitamin. It has awesome reviews and its suitable for every feeding. In reply to using D3 with every feeding, I would advise not to because again, too much D3 can cause liver failure and be deadly. If you use calcium 5 times a week, then calcium with D3 twice a week, that should cover their needs, but repashy multivitamin is a great all in one and you dont need an open dish.
You have to get the calcium alone pronto, and just do the suggested doces until then. The next few days might take a few trips to the pet shot haha!

Whats your current setup now kiara? Beautiful Geckos BTW!
 

Dinosaur!

New Member
Messages
908
Location
Las vegas, Nevada
I personally dust every other feeding with D3 (every feeding for hatchlings up to four months old), one feeding a week with a vitamin supplement that contains vitamin A, and I always keep a bowl of pure calcium in the tank at all times. They do need the D3 in order to absorb the calcium, but as its been stated, it can be toxic if you over use it. (personally I have never had, or talked to anyone who has truly had a gecko poisoned from D3) Your vitamin supplement must contain vitamin A in order to maintain your geckos eye and skin health. And the pure calcium in the tank is also very important in young and/or breeding geckos. Sometimes they know when they need calcium, and this way they always have access to it without the risk of an overdose :) I hope this helps! I have been dusting this way for over six years with great success. This method has even reversed minor cases of MBD (metabolic bone disease) in some rescues that I took on!
 

Kiara1125

Beardie Tamer
Messages
136
Location
Arcadia, FL
Whats your current setup now kiara? Beautiful Geckos BTW!

Thanks! I currently have a 20gL with reptile carpet, a piece of driftwood, two hides, two water dishes, and a live rubber tree in the tank. I got them mealworms, but they don't seem to care too much for them, so I'm going to try crickets. I have two food dishes that I'm going to keep insects in one and the Repti Calcium with D3 in the other. I currently have a T8 light over their tank on one side for the plant and it gets the temps up to 90F which I like. Whenever there's less hecticness in my house, I'll start a new thread and post pictures of everyone and the environment.

Personally, I leave vionate in the tank (which contains D3) but I don't dust.

I'm thinking about just leaving some D3 in there and letting the geckos have what they want. I'm gutloading the mealworms and crickets, so they should be good with everything else. So, thank you, I think I might do that.
 

Dinosaur!

New Member
Messages
908
Location
Las vegas, Nevada
I would probably avoid putting the calcium with D3 in their bowl. They will eat it unregulated which can cause poisoning. Thats why we reccomend the D3 free calcium in the tank, and dusting your feeders with D3 every other feeding or so. And don't forget the vitamins! Without a vitamin supplement with vitamin A your gecko may suffer severe skin and eye problems! Other then that, your set up sounds pretty nice, and I look forward to seeing some photos :)
 

Kiara1125

Beardie Tamer
Messages
136
Location
Arcadia, FL
That sounds like a really nice home for them! Do you have a under tank heater?

No, I do not. The bottom of the tank is 84-86F and the one side is 90-92F. I live in Florida, so heating isn't an issue. It's actually more of an issue to make sure that my crestie stays cooler and doesn't overheat.

I would probably avoid putting the calcium with D3 in their bowl. They will eat it unregulated which can cause poisoning. Thats why we reccomend the D3 free calcium in the tank, and dusting your feeders with D3 every other feeding or so. And don't forget the vitamins! Without a vitamin supplement with vitamin A your gecko may suffer severe skin and eye problems! Other then that, your set up sounds pretty nice, and I look forward to seeing some photos :)

Thanks! I'll definitely reconsider and order the other Repti Calcium online. It's cheaper for the same amount, so I pay $3 instead of $8. Thank you for persuading me to get both of them. I'll definitely be posting pictures soon!
 

Fatalis

New Member
Messages
6
Location
United States
I'm unsure about using the D3 calcium at all. What I have heard is that D3 is a very dangerous vitamin when in a mineral form. D3 is a required vitamin for reptiles who need UVB light, but it is completely unnecessary for those who do not need UVB and it is only safe when coming from a light source. When ingested in a mineral form, D3 can cause calcification of soft tissue, which will ultimately lead to death. I used purely D3 calcium for almost a year because I did not know this, and I will never use any D3 calcium supplement on any of my reptiles in the future.
 

rabidmoose

New Member
Messages
45
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Dear Fatalis, MHFU???? Haha.
I'm sorry about your loss, but It seems that you used D3 only? Over use of D3 can be deadly, but it is required for absorption of calcium, and since leo's don't bask they need it... It's still unknown how they get it in the wild though, which I sometimes wonder.
Anyways, just make sure you don't over do it.
 

rabidmoose

New Member
Messages
45
Location
British Columbia, Canada
I respect with your skepticism on the D3 subject and it is a very touchy subject, however in that exact forum it was a chameleon, and it said to let them get the D3 they needed from lights, but sadly with leo geckos being nocturnal they cant get it from lights, so they need some form of it from supplements, or else they can't absorb calcium and will become calcium deficient. However, lots of people use repashy calcium plus on this forum and others, so it is proven that it provides a proper amount of vitamins and minerals.

*Edit* Calcium plus also is made for everyday use. There really isn't that much research on what is right for leopard geckos, or other reptiles that I know of because they aren't as widely homed like cats or dogs (Since I got a gecko i can't see why!)
 
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Yuk

New Member
Messages
30
Location
United States
You have a greater chance of overdosing D3 by dusting it on a random amount and schedule than letting the leopard gecko self regulate. Ron Tremper has successfully used vionate for juveniles since at least 2005. Plus if there is a documented case of real D3 poisoning by vionate left in the tank, I'd like to see it. The only thing I could think might happen is if your gecko is malnurished and eats it all at once, but even that can be prevented by the starting amount you leave in the tank.

I respect with your skepticism on the D3 subject and it is a very touchy subject, however in that exact forum it was a chameleon, and it said to let them get the D3 they needed from lights, but sadly with leo geckos being nocturnal they cant get it from lights, so they need some form of it from supplements, or else they can't absorb it and will become deficient. It would be better to use D3 a little less then where you over dose it, where both cases can be seen physically. However, lots of people use repashy calcium plus on this forum and others, so it is proven that it provides a proper amount of vitamins and minerals.

*Edit* Calcium plus also is made for everyday use. There really isn't that much research on what is right for leopard geckos, or other reptiles that I know of because they aren't as widely homed like cats or dogs (Since I got a gecko i can't see why!)
They actually do absorb D3 from UVB bulbs very well, better than most reptiles because they are exposed to very little of it in nature. And they do need D3 to process calcium. Vet caresheets are starting to recommend UVB 2.0 bulbs because it is a safe way for leopard geckos to "top off" their D3 levels. Unlike the supplement, they cannot absorb too much D3 from light.
 
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SuperFastSlug

New Member
Messages
23
Location
California
Lol to be honest, I only use Repashy Calcium Plus for every feeding for all my animals. In addition to Cleopatra, my Leo, I have a whites tree frog, 9 poison dart frogs, 3 red eyed tree frogs, a veiled chameleon, and a crested gecko, and I've never had a problem with any of my animals. I obviously don't use it for my crested though, as I feed him CGD. I used to have all kinds of different vitamins and calcium supplements all over the place. Ever since I made the switch to Calcium Plus, feedings have been so much easier haha.


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rabidmoose

New Member
Messages
45
Location
British Columbia, Canada
So I looked it up and that seems pretty true and it makes sense... What do you do for your animals yuk? I'll still be sticking to calcium plus though.


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Yuk

New Member
Messages
30
Location
United States
I use Vionate since they are all juveniles and I'll be using Osteo-Form when they are adults, because it's been a tried and true method and recommended by Ron Tremper. I've also heard good things about Repashy Calcium plus :) And Allen Repashy is really knowledgeable too. I'd say either are okay, but personally I like Vionate because it's not too dusty. I leave the dish in there so they get enough of the D3 and calcium and don't rely on a certain number of feeders to get the right nutrition. Mine hunt in a natural enclosure with water and dirt and grasses. And there are plenty of burrows for the feeders to hide. I keep a dish of gutload in for the feeders that reside there to keep them healthy and nutritious, but the dusted calcium/d3 really wouldn't last in that environment.
 

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