with d3 and with out d3????

[Neill]

Whats the big deal with the calcium with and with out d3? I use just calcium with d3 and no problems. Can someone explain the difference?

 

[acpart]

The D3 is an additive to the calcium. It's a vitamin that lets the body use the calcium. A human or a reptile can get D3 from the sun, from UV light (I can't remember if it's UVA or UVB) or from the actual vitamin. Leopard geckos need D3 to make use of their calcium, which is why it's usually added to the calcium. Since in the wild they are nocturnal, the theory is that they are set up not to need as much D3 as an animal that spends all day basking in the sun. There is some worry that a leopard gecko could overdose on D3 although I have seen debate about this. In general, to be safe, many people make regular calcium without D3 available all the time and then dust the feeders with calcium with D3 so the geckos can get a consistent supply of D3without getting too much.

Aliza

 

[Gregg M]

Aliza is pretty spot on...
I just want to touch on a couple of things...
Leos are nocturnal... What does this mean??? It means they are most active during the early night hours... This does not mean they dont utilize the sun to heat up and to aquire vit D3... In the wild they bask just like any other reptile in the early hours and at dusk... The theory that they do not need as much D3 as diurnal reptiles is totally unfounded...

Here is the thing... Reptiles in general do not need lots of D3 to process calcium... And being that Vitamin D3 is a fat soluable vitamin, there is no need to give any reptile a constant supply of it because it is well stored in the body... It is a fact that any living thing can overdose on D3... Humans are even advised not to take too much D3... Ingested D3 will build alot faster than D3 aquired through UV...

So, what happens when an animal overdoses on D3??? Kidneys can shut down and livers can fail... This might be the cause of a bunch of unexplained leopard gecko deaths in captivity...

My geckos only get supplemented D3 once a month for the most part... There is no need to offer it more than once a month...

 

[Retribution Reptiles]

There is no need to offer it more than once a month...

Is that a personal finding or scientific fact? I don't want to sound rude or anything it's just i was curious to see where and how you came about that info.

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[Foreverandever]

I only give d3 once or twice a month also

 

[Gregg M]

Is that a personal finding or scientific fact? I don't want to sound rude or anything it's just i was curious to see where and how you came about that info.

Thanks,

Ryan

I dont know, over 20 years of keeping and breeding reptiles successfully can be a good indication that I am doing things correctly... The thousands of animals I have produced over the years speak for them selves...

To top it all off, researching actual reptile physiology and having a degree in biology helps me to understand what is needed and what is overkill...

So I will say it again, there is no reason to offer any reptile D3 oraly more than once a month... It is "scientific fact" and is also proven by many keepers and breeders who keep their reptiles in a similar manner as myself...

What do you want, an actuall data sheet on how much D3 a reptile needs to ingest a month??? There is no such data sheet... You do not need to take my word for it... If you feel I am wrong, then dont listen to what I have to say...

 

[gators0204]

I would have to say gregg is totally correct in the way he gives his reptiles d3. I myself have kept and bred reptiles for around 15 years and do pretty close to what he is saying. I also have not had any problems doing it in this manner also. Just because he doesn't have a book out or scientific data doesn't mean his years of experiance can't speak for him. It would be advise to listen the people who have many years experiance on the subject no matter what that subject may be.

 

[cwazy]

wow... a lil sensitive guys? geesh! he was just asking out of curiousity... no claim was made right or wrong... dont be so sensitive and give us whome dont know as much as the folks that have doing this forever some insite... i too was wondering if it was personal findings or is there something out there that is the "rules"... in no way was i even thinking anyone was wrong... infact it would seem personal findings are usally more accurate than "the book" but seriously... it was just simply curiosity... no need to jump at that... we all havent been doing this for so many years, so when someone who has says something, its nice to have a lil explanation... how else will be learn... now everone relax

 

[brothaT]

Gregg, I use Repti Calcium which has 20 times less d3 than rep cal. Would you still recommend only dusting with it once or twice a month?

 

[Gregg M]

wow... a lil sensitive guys?

Bill, you have the wrong guy if you are refering to me... LOL:main_laugh:

Gregg, I use Repti Calcium which has 20 times less d3 than rep cal. Would you still recommend only dusting with it once or twice a month?

Once or twice a month is plenty...

 

[gators0204]

Not being sensitive either. I dont care either way if somebody wants to listen to someone who is experienced on a certain subject or not.

 

[htadothk]

Hi Gregg, I've got Zoo Med's Repti Calcium w/o D3, should I get a multivitamin with D3 now? I'm totally new at this, thanks for your help !

 

[KnECritters]

I've only been keeping reptiles for around 10 years now, and breeding for 4-5 years. I've kept bearded dragons, tegus, cresties, leos, snakes, etc. and this is what I've learned through research and personal experience.

Overdose of D3 is known as hypercalcemia. This is when too much calcium is absorbed into the body because of the extra D3. This can cause bone defects, renal hypertension/failure, shock, and cardiac changes. Hypercalcemia can also be caused by a few other things: http://www.anapsid.org/hypercal.html

My animals (from nocturnal to diurnal) receive D3 only once a month, unless I have a rescue in which requires more.

D3 can NOT replace good sunlight/UVB exposure for diurnal species. All reptiles benefit from good UV exposure. I even have my breeding leopard geckos currently under UV lighting.

I hope this helps!

 

[Snowy & Petra de Gecko]

Good Discussion

Good Info and the use of Calcium.

And Gregg is just being Gregg.:main_thumbsup:

Gregg knows his stuff, doesn't mind sharing and is one of the most sensitive guys that are out there.

 

[Jayyoung]

Good Info and the use of Calcium.

And Gregg is just being Gregg.:main_thumbsup:

Gregg knows his stuff, doesn't mind sharing and is one of the most sensitive guys that are out there.

Agreed!:main_thumbsup:

:main_robin:
lurking about this site is a great way to learn!
:main_robin:

 

[malgecko]

D3 can NOT replace good sunlight/UVB exposure for diurnal species. All reptiles benefit from good UV exposure. I even have my breeding leopard geckos currently under UV lighting.

may i know how long do your leopard geckos be exposed to UV lighting daily? from when to when? thx

 

[geckonni]

I know people that do it once a week. But since leos are nocturnal, I think a little less would be better. That often is appropriate for other lizards like beardies.

 

[Nubster]

Ok, maybe I missed it in the reading but as I understand you only supplement D3 once or twice per month but do you supplement calcium w/o D3 more often or are you only supplementing the calcium AND D3 one or two times per month?

 

[malgecko]

I know people that do it once a week. But since leos are nocturnal, I think a little less would be better. That often is appropriate for other lizards like beardies.

thanks for your advice!!

 

[Guillaume-G]

The supplement I give my leos is the T-Rex 2:0 in a dish and sprinkled in they're food every second time. It have calcium 38.5%, Vitamine A 36000 IU, Vitamine D3 33600 IU and finally Vitamine C 235mg. So in what I can read is to give that one or twice a month and give them pure calcium on regular basis and in the dish. I understand that for the D3 now, but what about the vitamine A and C. Could they be neglected for that long period?