Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I was wondering what peoples thoughts on calcium dishes in with beardies were?

I calcium dust her food very regularly but noticed that the couple of specs of calcium that come out of the bag with the crickets she would go over and eat so I decided to put a calcium dish in and see what she would do.

She didn't touch it at first so I took it out but then about two weeks ago I decided to put it back in and she goes over to it usually once a day and dives after the calcium. She gets in a funny stance where her belly is curved up, Its like as far up as it will go if she put it up any further her feet would come off the ground. And then she looks at it for a couple of seconds and then bam shes got her head in there licking some up. Then she'll wait a couple of seconds and do it again. Its really cute and funny to watch.

But I'm wondering if she could maybe take in too much calcium this way? Is it like with a leopard gecko where they will just eat as much as they need? Or do you think she could get too much? Do you think that it would be better to do it this way, maybe only dust her food once a week and let her body regulate her calcium intake as she can tell how much she needs much better than I can.

HHhmm I personally would not do that, nor have I ever heard that being done with beardies before. If she is an adult usually just dusting her live feedings every other day would be plenty, and once weekly with a multi vitamin. If she is gravid then the extra calcium could be needed, but for a normal healthy non gravid adult, I think that would be a bit dangerous for her, and yes, they can overdose on calcium with d3. Yes, it would take a lot, but I wouldn't risk her eating it from a dish, cause just how much would cause a problem we just don't know for sure. The dusting every other day for adults has worked for many people for years without any symptoms of overdose or deficiency. Some people even dust less like twice a week for fully grown adults without symptoms of calcium deficiency. Babies and juvi's can be supplemented daily (I do) as they are using a lot of it for rapid bone growth at that age. I personally would stick with what is recommended by other dragon breeders/keepers who have more experience with health, and nutrient needs of bearded dragons then I do. Just my opinion, and how I set my standards for supplementing them. Do what works for you, but I personally would not dust, and on top of that let her eat calcium out of a bowl. Just sounds like way to much room for possible health issues.
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Mystical Dragons

Thanks for the reply, Shes only 6 months old so she has lots of growing. I dust her food once of the three times i feed her a day. I know that my leopard geckos for instance wont' overdose on calcium they eat as much as they need and thats that. So I was thinking that maybe beardies were the same way. I think i will take it out but still wonder if maybe this would be the better way to do it. Maybe cut out the dusting altogether and just let her regulate it on her own.

You would be one of the first that I know of that tried it. Yes, new ideas are what moves knowledge forward, but just be careful, and maybe get better advice with someone more experienced with the nutrient needs and behaviors of beardies to see if like geckos they will be able to regulate it themselves. I personally do NOT think they can. Just look how many crickets and worms they can eat in a day. I would say a hell of a lot more food then they are catching in the wild. They seem to be more adapt to routine and habit. Mine whatever I put in the dish they think it's food. they eat anything that falls in that dish. I'm thinking if I put calcium in that dish they would over indulge just like with foods, and this would be a disaster waiting to happen. Be very careful if you try this. If not enough is taken in MBD can be devastating, so would overdose I would think. Don't jump into ideas. Think them out, and study the possible outcomes to these ideas. Don't think dragons are like gecko's in this area at all. Geckos are nocturnal and need a hell of a lot less calcium for proper health and growth then beardies do.
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Mystical Dragons

Got to agree with Mattman here... I don't think it's a good idea to give dragons free access to calcium supplements...

From "The bearded dragon manual":
"Excessive supplementation with calcium, without adequate levels of trace minerals, risks secondary deficiencies of zinc, copper, and iodine."

Also, if you're leaving a dish of calcium with D3, you're running the risk of too much D3, and soft tissue calcification...

D.A.

I agree also. Soft tissue calcification is possible and bad. D3 is fat solubile too much is bad. Don't know if they would eat too much but is it worth the risk. I have seen my dragons do the same thing. Although at 6 months I don't think it would hurt as an adult very dangerous.
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Derek Affonce
DeKeAff Exotics
dekeaffexotics.com

I think the best thing to do would be to check out Melissa Kaplan's site. Bearded dragons are nothing like iguanas, but they share a similar diet and they are both active during the day. Oversupplementing an iguana is just as bad as undersupplementing. Just a thought.

Thanks for your replies, I am gonna take it out but I just wish there was a definative answer. Using calcium without D3 might be an idea. It would be a much better method than just dusting the food once a day if they do eat just what there bodies say they need. She doesn't eat it all just a couple of "dives" in and she leaves it alone. Some days she doesn't eat any either but she has most days since I put it in, its funny to see her do it and then to see her mouth and nose afterward.