Confused about Vit D

[donprec]

When I talked to the vet last, he had asked if the calcium supplement I have has vit d in it because if it did, I should switch to something without vit d.
The rescue that I got Precious from had given me the supplement that they use which is Repashy Calcium Plus, it has 40,000 IU of vit d3. This is what I have been using all along with not only Precious but my skink as well...who has grown huge and healthy. The only thing is, Precious decided a few months ago that she didn't like food that was powdered so I ordered a liquid calcium glubionate and she was on that for a couple weeks. But her appetite has gotten huge again lately and she hasn't been discriminate with what's on her food anymore and has started taking the powder again.
I'm almost done with this calcium supplement and had planned to get the Rep Cal calcium next. Coincidentally, when I was at the vet, this is the supplement that the receptionist said they always recommended...and it was the pink one which I think is the one with calcium and vit d! So I'm confused as to why he'd tell me no vit d and then recommend one that has it! Does this one have a lower amount? Also, I thought calcium and some vit d had to go hand in hand anyway?
I'm really confused now!

 

[river-7]

Hi; I have 2-beardies and 1-is a rescue-I give plain calcium[no d-3[ to my girl 5-days a week and then d3-i day a week and vitamins 1-day a week and man my rescue is 8-months and I give her d-3 7-days and at this point vitamins 7-days and I will do that for a month with the new baby. But I use to use rapashy for years and all my lizards were healthy but it can get very confusing.I think it's up to people to decide what cal; to give ect; and do your best and whatever works for your babies with good results just follow it. river-7

 

[PatsyB]

They tell you to use calcium w/o D3 because they are getting the D3 from their lighting. If it was a rescue dragon in bad shape, I would use the calcium with D3 for a little bit. I use calcium w/o D3 and use a multivitamin once a week that does have it.

 

[donprec]

So I should go with this one? http://www.amazon.com/Rep-Cal-SRP00...60&sr=1-1&keywords=rep+cal+calcium+without+d3
This is the one the receptionist showed me: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop
What do you both use now?

 

[donprec]

So I should go with this one? http://www.amazon.com/Rep-Cal-SRP00...60&sr=1-1&keywords=rep+cal+calcium+without+d3
This is the one the receptionist showed me: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop
What do you both use now?

 

[river-7]

The first one says for reptiles raised under natural sunlight-So that's out and leaves you with the second one-but you can get it without d-3-I use repti-Cal; but I am in Canada and we have it with both d-3 and no d-3. so that looks like the choices unless you can order with no d-3 from the internet or get someone in Canada to send you some if you can't get it. -I personally went to a health food store and got pure calcium with nothing added as a that time I had a leopard gecko and a crested and that's what I gave them along with my beardies. hope this helps a little-river-7.

 

[PatsyB]

So I should go with this one? http://www.amazon.com/Rep-Cal-SRP00220-Phosphorous-Free-Amphibian-Supplement/dp/B00BS96GLE/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1439252560&sr=1-1&keywords=rep cal calcium without d3
This is the one the receptionist showed me: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop
What do you both use now?

I use both of those. The one w/o D3 I use daily for the dragons and the chameleon and the one with I use when I feed the frogs. I also use Reptivite Multi Vitamin I do once a week for Dexter and Luci and once every other week for Bumble.

 

[river-7]

Donprec; did you get your calcium yet or what did you decide on? river-7

 

[donprec]

My goodness, here I thought I was doing good with Precious all along but...I give Precious less calcium than you both, I only give it twice a week...is that wrong? The person I got her from said just once a week, the vet said 1-2 times a week.
I also give her herptivite one day and this other multivitamin I got from beardeddragon.co another day, neither have vit d in them.
I'm going with the Rep Cal, I'll order both kinds of them this weekend.
River - the pure calcium you get, is it powdered? It's palatable to them? I have to look into that.

 

[river-7]

I never had a problem with the animals not liking it.They ate it well, Sorry Donprec; I can remember the exact name of it. I believe it has no phos; in it- strickly clear of all bad things.I had it around but I gave it to a young lady that was into beardies, and gecko's, which is why I bought it. you have to order from health food store and ask for no phos; ect; And you should be fine. Speak to pharmist[sp] in health food store and tell him you have a beardie and they will assist you. Believe it or not they know about beardies if you get a good guy or lady.hope this helps-Sorry yes it is fine and they do like it.I give calcium every time I feed them 3-times a day and 2-times a day for my younger one, as she refuses to eat a third time and my rescue gets it 2-3-times a day as much as she will eat. I shake the crix; up every feeding depending on the age of your baby. Hope this helps you some. River-7

 

[jarich]

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin (well technically a steroidal hormone, but whatever). That means that, unlike water soluble vitamins, the more you give them, the more it builds up in the animal. With water soluble vitamins there is no real chance of overdose toxicity as their system will just flush the extra out with water. Fat soluble vitamins have the potential to continue to build up in their system until it becomes toxic though. With sunlight, or good UV lighting, this cannot happen as Vit D is part of a feedback loop with other compounds that negate it, so that is the safest and best way for them to get the Vit D they need. That means if you have good UV lighting or regular exposure to sunlight, there is no need for the Vit D at all. If you do not have good lighting, then it is very necessary. So with rescues, often those animals are not well taken care of and the assumption is that likely that includes the lighting. Im guessing that is why the vet probably uses calcium with Vit D.

 

[river-7]

Jarich; that is why I give my little dragon[rescue] d-3 as she had no lighting of any kind-the women that gave her to me said she didn't need it.and I have 2.50 repti-sun spirals on her right now. I am in Canada and nobody had a fixture[hood] for my t5-ho light.I don't like them but it's better then nothing. Now I am putting her in a 40-breeder tank tomorrow and should I leave the spirals on top or put inside of the viv.Sorry but I am not use to not getting tube lights. Now what difference is there between the t-8-and the t-5 more uvb?? I get her out daily for 20-30 minutes each day in the natural sun.Please forgive all my questions but it's been awhile since I bought these things and I was all over the place today and could not find nothing to help her out. Tks river-7

 

[jarich]

Jarich; that is why I give my little dragon[rescue] d-3 as she had no lighting of any kind-the women that gave her to me said she didn't need it.and I have 2.50 repti-sun spirals on her right now. I am in Canada and nobody had a fixture[hood] for my t5-ho light.I don't like them but it's better then nothing. Now I am putting her in a 40-breeder tank tomorrow and should I leave the spirals on top or put inside of the viv.Sorry but I am not use to not getting tube lights. Now what difference is there between the t-8-and the t-5 more uvb?? I get her out daily for 20-30 minutes each day in the natural sun.Please forgive all my questions but it's been awhile since I bought these things and I was all over the place today and could not find nothing to help her out. Tks river-7

They are better than nothing, youre right. The problem with those spirals is that they only produce a good UV index about 4 inches away and over a small little area. If you are putting them close together, that will help make it a larger area of exposure, which is good, but you will still need to mount them with no screen in between the light and the lizard. Make sure it is still mounted directly overhead though so you dont have to worry about eye issues. Getting her out for the half hour a day in the sunlight will cover your bases anyway for now.

As for the difference between the T8 and the T5, it mostly intensity and distance reached. The T5 are a much more powerful light. Not only do you get a lot more UV from them, but it also projects much further. Youll notice right away that the T5 is a much brighter light. Also, the T5 fixtures all come with a reflector in them, so that nearly doubles the output of the bulb too. Perhaps the biggest difference is that with a T8 you need to have the fixture within about 6 inches of the lizard's back for good exposure levels, whereas with the T5 fixture with reflector you can have the light 15-18 inches away and still have good exposure.

 

[river-7]

Thank You Jarich; I have a t-5 on my baby and the spirals on the new rescue. I have been every place for a light fixture to fit my other t-5 tube and no one has got a fixture. I can't believe it.22-inch is what i'm looking for and now I am advertising on the internet. I went to lowes, home depot, petsmart and a few small mom and pop shops no one has the 22-inch. And that is the tube t-5 that I have and it's only been used about 2-3-weeks.That is why I was asking about the t-8 bulb as I can get an 18-in; at Walmart but the tube t-8 is at pet smart man what a run around but what we don't do for our babie's. Thank you soo much Jarich for explain that to me I really appreciate it. river-7

 

[jarich]

My pleasure. Its usually easier to get them online if you can. I usually use this site as they often have sales.
www.drsfostersmith.com

 

[river-7]

Guess; What they don't have it either 24-30-36 ect but no 22-inch. I was told at a couple of stores they are going to stop making it -so I would hate to guess why they still make the t-5 tube light river-7-7

 

[river-7]

Well I guess I will have to go to a different size fixture and hope it will support a t-5 as I do love them for beardie's. I feel they get a lot out of them, along with outside natural uvb.So I guess another hundred or so for as new t-5-bulb but the place you recommended has good prices on their tubes[t-5] I think theirs is something like $40.00 and if you spend over 50.00 it's free shipping but I don't know about Canada.Well again thanks so much for your help-river-7

 

[jarich]

Sorry for not responding before. For some reason they started making the sizes more complicated than they need to. The measurement for the light, 22 inches, fits the 24 inch fixture. Im not sure why they started getting all picky with the exact measurements all of a sudden, since the lights and fixtures have always been a couple inches different (even with the T8). I think they did it so that people dont get the T8 and T5 bulbs mixed up, but thats just a guess.

Anyway, yes the 24 inch fixture fits the 22 inch bulb for the T5

 

[PatsyB]

He beat me to it! There was a discussion here about it before. The 22" bulb fits the 24 inch fixture.


I think Drs. Foster & Smith should start paying jarich and I since we recommend them to everyone!