Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all, Yesterday I gave a neighbor who helps me clean my tom of animals and Reptiles one of my GG Orange x Pastel babies. He/she is 8 weeks now and growing well. Anyways she went to the Pet store( Petsmart) and was looking for the correct Calcium- Phospherous free and multivitamins. She called and was very confused so I thought I would see what most are using? I Use OsteoForm for Calcium because all of my Beardie breeder friends use it and it comes in a big bottle, since I have so many reptiles it lasts longer than the little bottle of Reptocal. But my Multivitamins is Reptovit right now( I also use Herpivite) and when looking at the ingredients I see Phophorus min 8.3% But my neighbor couldn't find anything in Multivitamins without Phophorus either. But she did fine the calcium phophorus free. so if you all don't mind please let me know what you all use and the size it comes in. That way I can tell other people who gets beardies from me what most people who don't have lots of beardies use.

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SACRED CREATURES~
http://www.sacredcreatures.com/

Beardies: 9.14.35
Myst- Hypo Red x Yellow Sandfire Female Juvy
Pyro-Red Flaming Tiger x Orange German Giant Male
Kai-German Giant x Orange German Giant Male
Skyla-German Giant x German Giant Pastel Female
Voodoo-Yellow Red Desert Male
Banshee-Orange Sandfire Female
Puff-Citrus x Red Flamming Tiger/Orange Sandfire Male
Cera-Citrus x Sunburst Female
Moon- Snow x Hypo Female
Jewel-Yellow Sandfire x Orange Sandfire- Female
Ace-Sundial Coral x Snow Male
Jace- Yellow sandfire x Orange sandfire Male
Sundra-Sunrise x Red/Gold Sandfire Female
Nitro(Stubbs)-German Giant x GG Pastel- Female
Wicket-Sundial Coral x Snow Male
Sedona-Blood x Red/Orange Sandfire Female
Flurry- Snow Female
Jinx- Snow x Patternless Pastel x Hypo Orange male
Jazz- Snow x Patternless Pastel x Hypo Orange female
Jet- Snow x Patternless Pastel x Hypo Orange male
Joker- Snow x Patternless Pastel x Hypo Orange female

Crested Geckos
1.0 Warrior- Dark Harley Part Pin, Dalmation, Full Fringe
0.1 Suey- Orange Tiger Dalmation
0.0.1 Ra- Rust Flame, Pin striping, Full Fringe

Fat Tail Geckos
4.8 Stripes, Normal, Het Armel, Het Albino ( not named yet)

Leopard Geckos 5.18.54
India- Super Hypo Tang Carrot Tail Baldie Female
Sirius- Tremper Albino Male
Blossom- Patternless Tremper Albino Female(Animal Dreams)
Blaze- Jungle Bandit Female (Bruckman's Reptiles)
Basil-High Yellow Jungle Leo Female(Bruckman's)
Ebony-Dark Phase Normal Female
Snowflake-Line bred snow Female
Twister-HQ Red Stripe Leo Male
Swayze-HQ Red Stripe Bold Jungle Leo Female(Hot Geckos)
Eclipse-HQ Red Stripe Bold Jungle Leo Female(Hot Geckos)
Ayesha-Outcross JMG x HQ Red Stripe Female(Hot Geckos)
Sunspot-High Yellow Leo Female(Bruckman's Reptiles)
Phoenix-Super Hypo Tang Carrot Tail Baldy Male (Hot Geckos)
Cajun-Super Hypo Tang Baldy Leo Female(Hot Geckos)
Calypso-Super Hypo Leo Female
Orion- Hypo Tang Leo Female
Bijou- Hypo Tang Leo Female( Our Breeding)
Arwen-Rainwater( LV)Jungle Albino Leo Male (Hot Geckos)
Aries-Rainwater(LV) Banded Albino Leo Female (Hot Geckos)
Ice-Blizzard Leo Female(Bruckman's Reptiles)
Winter-Blizzard Leo Female(Bruckman's Reptiles
Shiver-Banana Blizzard Leo Male(Bruckman's Reptiles)

Tortoises 1.1
Velvet-Leopard Tortoise 2 years old male
Isis- Blond Leopard Tortoise 16 mos old female

4.3 Ball Pythons
Stripe Male 05
Black Back Female 05
Het Pied Male 05
Axanthic Female 03
Reduced with Blushing Female 03
Chocolate Reduced Male 04
Banded Male 04

Tarantula's
1 Mexican Red Knee "Red"
1 Brazilian Striped Knee "Gremlin"
1 Chilean Rose Hair "Rosey"
1 Guyana Pink Toe "Pinky"
1 Chaco Golden Knee "Goldielocks"
1 Curly Hair "Curlie Q"

Exotic Roaches
Lobsters
Orange Headed
Orange Spotted
Hissers
And Many Furry Pets

Phosphorus is fine in the multivitamins, the problem is the phosphorus levels have to be balanced by calcium levels, with two parts calcium to one part phosphorus or less. So even if the multivitamins are a little high in phosphorus, using a phosphorus free calcium powder and a well balanced diet with plenty of calcium rich greens, UVB light etc, there shouldn't be any concern about too much phosphorus in the diet. Multivitamins should also not be used too often, especially once the dragon is over a year old.
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PHLdyPayne

I have had the same dragon (and lots of other lizards) for over 12 years now and I have always given him appropriately gutloaded insects and greens (dandelion, kale, collards, ROMAINE lettuce, endive, etc.) and veggies (sweet red peppers, carrots, sweet potato, zucchini, squash, etc.) and some fruit (apples, pear, melon, berries, etc.).

He has always had a Repti-sun 5.0 UVB light (that does not pass through glass or plastic) to allow him to produce vitamin D3 but in addition to that I dust the insects with a calcium/D3 powder twice a month lightly. If he got direct sunlight then I would skip this. Vitamin D3 that is produced from exposure to sunlight or UVB light can't be overdosed, but if it comes from supplements,it can.

I dust the insects with a phosphorous-free calcium powder several times a week. Insects have a poor calcium/phosphorous ratio and IMHO this helps to counter it.

Twice a month with a vitamin/mineral powder. I make sure the vitamin A in it (and in everything else) comes from a beta carotene source because beta carotene sources can't create an overdose whereas preformed sources can.

You said..."he hasn't been eating any veggies"...try starting off with sweet red peppers, apple and such just to get him started (hopefully).

You said he has not had uvb and "When he walks he seems to drag his body. he doe not stand at all. He is always laying flat"...it sounds like MBD (metabolic bone disease). Bone health depends on a balance of calcium/phosphorous, vitamin D3, and vitamin A....and appropriate temperature to allow digestion/absorption of nutrients in its diet. If this is what he has (a vet can tell you for sure) then things need to be brought back into balance. A vet could give him injections of calcium for several weeks followed by an injection of calcitonin, which draws the calcium back into the bones. THIS HAS TO BE DONE BY A VET BECAUSE IF ITS NOT DONE CORRECTLY, THE DRAGON COULD DIE FROM LACK OF CALCIUM IN THE BLOOD WHEN THE CALCITONIN CAUSES THE BLOOD CALCIUM TO DROP DUE TO BEING DRAWN BACK INTO THE BONES. (Hope my explanation is right...I'm not a vet, but this was my understanding of it. I have had it done to a beardie that I had once.) If he needs extra D3 a vet could also deal with that.

The damage done already won't likely be reversible (it damages not only the bones, but the organs too), but the strength can be regained by the bones.

You said..."He also seems like he has the hiccups"...this one has me stumped at the moment.

Hope you can help the poor thing!