Is there a simple d3 answer?

[maddyfish]

Should I use calcium with d3, or without d3? Or some combination of both?

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

OK. My vet, who is a reptile specialist, says that ALL nocturnal reptiles need D3 in their supplementation. He claims that in over 20 years as a reptile vet, a former Professor at UC Davis' Exotics Veterinary School, and a consultant for the Oakland Zoo's Exotics department, he has NEVER seen a case of hyper-vitaminosis D3 in leopard geckos (too much D3).

Personally, I supplement using Calcium w/D3 weekly.

 

[Ccrashca069]

I dust mealworms every 3 day with Rep-Cal with d3. My 2 reptile vets say the same.

 

[maddyfish]

Alright calc with d3 it is. Good I already have the rep-cal with d3.

 

[Gecko Ranch]

I've tested and used pretty much all the good gecko supplements on many different kinds of geckos....finally settled on Allen Repashy's Calcium Plus (after a few years of successful breeding outcome in over 50 species of geckos with it). Allen is on the cutting edge with the ratios of vital importance, Calcium to D3 to phosphorus (balances out with insects to a final ratio of 2:1); dual sources of Vitamin A (beta carotene and some preformed, covers all the gecko's needs) and with the quality of his ingredients, human grade, which is not the usual in reptile supplements. Besides that, there is no mixing two parts with Allen's supplement as in the old school way with Calcium and multivitamin in the popular tried and true RepCal and Herptive that most of us have used successfully at one time or another. Allen explains the quality of the ingredients he uses allows them to not degrade when the components of his supplements are mixed together for you. They do eventually degrade over time, but not in the time that we would use the supplements by a longshot.

Something else you Eublepharid fans should know, Eublepharids are strongly attracted to scent. I discovered this while doing research for "Geckos" and "Leopard Geckos" that I co-wrote three chapters in. The journal articles I looked at had experiments with leopard geckos and other kinds of geckos like Tokays and Cresteds where they were offered a cotton swab with the scent of cricket. The leopard geckos consistently struck at the swabs where the non-Eublepharids in the studies did not. Allen's Calcium Plus has a scent that Eublepharids and other geckos are strongly attracted to...this makes it nice to supplement new food items with as the gecko will immediately recognize the new prey item as food. This supplement also sticks to prey items better than anything I have used.

I know Calcium Plus is a new game in town for many of you - it is well proven with both large and scale breeders and you should know about it. Check out Allen's write-up on this great stuff on his gecko forums at Repashy.com.

 

[Brhaco]

Julie-very interesting info. I'll try Allen's supplement with my standingi!

Brad Chambers

 

[Gecko Ranch]

Brad, my P. standingi are very robust on Calcium Plus. You'll like it.

 

[GeckoRing]

Julie, I was wondering if this is the same stuff as the T-Rex Leopard Gecko dust?

 

[Gecko Ranch]

Julie, I was wondering if this is the same stuff as the T-Rex Leopard Gecko dust?

Michelle, the answer is yes and no. The answer is yes, it is Calcium Plus, however, being distributed by T-Rex and no, as it is most likely not fresh from Allen and does not have the latest formulation. Allen's product comes in
resealable foil pouches like these:

Shown here is the Meal Replacement Base diet component of Two part food for Rhacodactylus and Phelsuma, Calcium Plus and Insect Gutload come in these same pouches. There are "good until" dates on the end of the pouch and they are offered in sizes up to 4lbs (4oz, 8oz, 16oz, 2lbs, 4lbs). As a retailer I am able to get it in two days directly from Allen and always have fresh stock. We all know that is not the case with the T-Rex stuff at pet shops!

The best way to keep it is open it up, take what you need, seal it up and put it in your fridge. Allen tells me the expiration dates are very conservative as it is!