Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have using the rep-cal comb. of cal. and D3 every feeding for my juvenile leop. She eats a ton, but i've noticed she seems kind of bloated. She defecates on a regular basis and it looks good. Should I only be using the D3 biweekly or with every feeding. The labeling suggests to use both amounts every feeding. thanks.

I dust with PURE calcium(no D3) 5 days a week, and have it available in every leo's tank 24/7.

Calcium with D3 once a week

Multivitamin once a week.

I don't know if it's this way with Leos, but with tortoises, they need UVB to process the D3. Since leos are nocturnal and don't really bask, or you may not have a heat lamp on the cage, maybe it's not processing the D3?

I don't really know to much, it's just a thought.

I don't use the calcium supplement with vitamin D3 or pure vitamin D3. I use pure calcium supplement about 7 times a week for my juvy and dust their food with multivitamin twice a week. Once they are fully grown you will only need to use the calcium supplement about 2 times a week and multivitamin about once or everyother week. I hope this help you.

I do approximately the same thing. 7 days pure calcium and 2 days w multivitamin added per week.

Am curious though. Does anyone know a reason why one couldn't just buy the calcium and multivitamin separately then mix them in the proper ratios for their needs? I can understand that hatchlings, juvies, and adults may have different requirements.

I'm thinking that a steady supply of multivitamin in the right amounts would lead to a healthier gecko.

I actually mix the vitamins and calcium together on MWF. Roughly a teaspoon to teaspoon mix. Works fine...never had a problem.

Vitamin are MicroNutrients. Which means they are esencial for your geckos and they should be offered in very small ammounts. It's easier to offer their vitamins once a week or every couple of weeks than every day in very small ammounts.
Vitamin D3 aids in fixing calcium on bones, but if you offered them in huge ammounts it will also fix calcium in soft tissues, and you don't want that.
Please, double check this information since I am not a veterinarian, yet.
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2.4.6 Leopard Gecko (Abraxas, Trinny, Susahna)
0.2.0 Homonota Darwinii (Talus & Gracilis)
0.1.0 Cham Caliptratus (Al Respecto)
1.0.0 Golden Retriever (Cafu)
1.0.0 Black Cat (Felipe)
0.0.8000 Tenebrio Molitor
0.0.2000 Zoophoba Mario
0.0.2500 Lobster Roaches

Ok, sounds reasonable. I just figured that if one wanted a 10:1 ratio that it would be easier to mix larger quantities together at once and if done thoroughly then just use it as you go.

I know my herptivite multivitamin container says something about them not mixing it in with calcium because one would damage the other (beta carotene) during manufacturing. They actually recommend mixing by the owner.

I'm not sure if this is a shelf life issue or how the mixing equipment in the factory works.

v/r,

N.F.

Well, the reason I heard they don't mix them together is because the calcium actually will ruin the some vitamins in multivitamin, I think, or betacaratine. And Vitamins are important but your body only needs it in small amount, so giving it to your gecko everyday isn't recommended.

Yeah they definately do not need them everyday. I've personally never heard of any leo getting hypervitaminosis, as I am sure it's happend. I meant to say 4:1 calcium, and vitamins. With about 40 crickets. I was in a rush when I posted last. Anyway, if you are going to dust them completely with vitamins, once a week should be fine. This is probably the most frequently asked/questioned subject in here. Sam