Too much?

[bitterbeauty]

I have realized I have been a little overzealous lately and have been dusting my leos mealies everytime I feed. (I dust with Reptocal, leopard gecko dust, vitamins) Is this not a good idea? Maybe I should limit the dusting? I was just wondering if they can have too much of a good thing. Thanks!

 

[Tommy13b]

I heard your only supost too dust them once a week

 

[Halley]

I have heard with hatchling you are supposed to dust every feeding time and with adults every other feeding time. I don't dust my food items ever for hatchlings or adults though, I just use a calcium dish, filled with the same thing that I would dust with, and that way the geckos can just get it whenever they need it. Haven’t had problems with it yet.

 

[fallen_angel]

We always dust our feeders (at every feeding) with pure calcium and we leave pure calcium in the tank. About once a week, we dust with a multivitamin one day, and on a different day, we dust with the calcium that contains D3. They can never get too much calcium, but they can get too much D3, that's why it's good to have both kinds

 

[david13]

I have calcium and then i have multivitamins with D3..i just mix it all in a dish with some mealworms but if i was to dust every feeding, i would go

*hatchling* calcium-every feeding____multivitmains with D3-2 a week
*adults* calcium-every other feeding____multivitamins with D3-1 a week

 

[bitterbeauty]

Thanks so much for your opinions on this!

My geckos are about 2-3 months old so dusting frequently is a good idea. Thanks!

 

[fallen_angel]

You can't go wrong with too much calcium, as long as it's the kind without D3 :main_yes:

 

[liljenn]

Here is a past thread quote that pertains to this thread, so I thought it would make sense to add it to this one. In regards to over supplementing calcium, please read the quote below from another thread:

Yes indeed, and if you over supplement your geckos with extra calcium, which they will happily eat, you are in effect giving them Tums! I used to also leave out dishes of calcium carbonate until I learned this from Allen Repashy. He explains:

Quote "Too much calcium, even without too much D-3, becomes a binder for essential vitamins and nutrients. Vitamin A in particular. The calcium blocks the absorbtion of these vitamins. In many geckos, especially leopards, the vitamin A problem can be seen with too much calcium in the materialization of eye deformities.. one big eye or small eye... Too much calcium can nearly completely block the absorbtion of vitamin A, which has visible effects..... there could also be other non visible effects from it blocking vitamin A and other vitamins, like reduced hatch rates (which are also seen with too much calcium)

If you look at calcium powder, you can picture the "Got Milk" commercial. It is a powder that will absorb moisture out of the body, and if it coats the lining in the stomach with crust, the animal can't absorb anything. It also neutralizes digestive acids....

Have you ever heard of Tums? Look at the ingredients.. it is nearly pure calcium carbonate. A 500 mg (half a gram)tablet is strong enough to eliminate acid indigestion in a 150 pound human! so what do you think that eating a bowl of calcium that size (you said your gecko ate similar amount) will do? Lets say you have a 30 gram gecko eating a half a gram of calcium, or the same amount as a tums tablet.... hmmm So that means the gecko is eating about 1.5% its body weight in calcium.... So if you weigh 150 pounds, what do you think would happen if you ate 2.25 pounds of calcium in a sitting? LOL Do you think you would absorb your dinner? or even have room to eat it?
Most prescription drugs warn that if you eat calcium or other antacids that your body might not absorb the drug properly.... or anything for that matter.. "​

Pretty eye-opening! His all in one supplement, Calcium Plus (also sold through T-Rex as Leopard gecko dust), is designed to balance with the vitamin and mineral contents of insect food to make this all you need. I have several generations of over 50 species of geckos to prove it. MBD is has dissappeared iin my collection, production is high, and the only gecko that has a problem, and this was one specimen, was a P.standingi female. Their eggs are like boulders, and I suspect it was another issue, stress from cagemates, that caused her to decline and develop MBD. My bad.

Much more info on supplementation here and how he designed Calcium Plus:

http://www.forums.repashy.com/showthread.php?t=8941&highlight=supplementation

I read this article, and it is fantastic information -- although a bit technical for most folk's reading pleasure. I will be the first to say that I am a newbie when it comes to reptiles. However, supplements for humans, I do know a lot about and this article is in line with what I have learned through training at a natural pharmacy.

 

[HillDog]

I agree with fallen angel
Pure calcium dusting everyday, and pure calcium in the cage.
D3 1-2 times per week
Multivitamins are good too
:main_thumbsup:

 

[Gecko Ranch]

Thanks Jen, folks should know the development of Calcium Plus represents a major advancement for supplementation in geckos.

 

[Ross85]

I used to use an all in one supplement, but later found out that it was originally formulated for iguanas. I then switched to the all in one repashy all in one leopard gecko dust. I would use it every feeding with my superworms. Then after a while my gecko would just go up to the dusted worm, lick it, and turn away. When I put in an undusted worm he ate it right up. He won't eat anything dusted any more. I now just leave the all in one supplement in a bowl at all times. Usually after he eats I will see him licking it out of the bowl. I think using the stuff every time gave him too much calcium or something else and he knew it. I have been letting him take when he needs for a long time now and have seen no problems. I'm sure they regulate their vitamins and stuff in the wild by eating or licking certain things, so I'm sure they can figure out when they need the supplements.