Calcium/vit d powder

Snakefood · 08-15-11, 06:46 PM

I am setting up for my first Corn Snake and bought a starter kit for the enclosure.

In the kit is a small package of calcium powder (with vitamin D). It says to coat insects with powder, leading me to believe this more slated towards lizzards.

So is this something to use for a cornsnake? If so, how often?

Gungirl · 08-15-11, 06:49 PM

You don't use that for a corn... you are right in thinking its used for a lizzard. You feed the corn f/t mice and it gets everything it needs right from that.

stephanbakir · 08-15-11, 06:49 PM

Corns don't need calcium supplements, no snake really does if fed properly.

Snakefood · 08-15-11, 06:52 PM

awsome, that's what I suspected but wanted to make sure!!

Anyone in the fraser valley, BC want any lizzard powder??

NennaMeerkat · 08-15-11, 07:38 PM

Isn't D3 bad for lizards? Dunno why it would be sold. Everything I have heard says it is.

Also just a tip for next reptile...it is generally cheaper to buy what you need seperately since you end up buying for packaging, items you don't need, name brands, ect.

totheend · 08-15-11, 09:30 PM

Lizards need vit D3. Vit D3 promotes calcium absorption. But, too much D3 can be toxic. So you want to offer it occasionally, not all the time. So for a leopard gecko, don't leave them a dish of Calcium with D3, but rather leave just plain calcium out for them and coat their crickets once a week or so with the calcium w D3.

NennaMeerkat · 08-15-11, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by totheend

Lizards need vit D3. Vit D3 promotes calcium absorption. But, too much D3 can be toxic. So you want to offer it occasionally, not all the time. So for a leopard gecko, don't leave them a dish of Calcium with D3, but rather leave just plain calcium out for them and coat their crickets once a week or so with the calcium w D3.

Yeah I did change out their dish from the D3 stuff to plain calcium. Poor Bell seems to miss her D3 though...she used to spend quite a bit of time lapping up the D3 calcium.

Thanks for the answer! Appreciate it. So which lizards can have D3 without worry? Are there any at all?

Valvaren · 08-15-11, 10:18 PM

Bearded Dragons need D3 especially when they are younger its a one meal a day 5x a week dusted with calcium (D3) and one meal a day 2x a week with multivitamin, it cuts down as they are older to about 3:1 iirc

NennaMeerkat · 08-16-11, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valvaren

Bearded Dragons need D3 especially when they are younger its a one meal a day 5x a week dusted with calcium (D3) and one meal a day 2x a week with multivitamin, it cuts down as they are older to about 3:1 iirc

Interesting in the 5 years I have had my dragon this is the first time anyone has mentioned them needing calcium at all. Considering the amount of crickets (or roaches) a dragon eats when they are younger I am surprised they would really need any calcium at all. And certainly the veggies they eat as adults contain some amount of it as well.

Valvaren · 08-16-11, 09:16 AM

The reason they need the calcium dust is because of the mass amount of crickets they eat, i've seen so many dragons with earlier signs of MBD early on due to the lack of calcium dusting. When I bought her I was given terrible info and products, the dusting was one of the two things I found out they managed to do right :\ the other being that she was a bearded dragon :\

SpOoKy · 08-16-11, 07:05 PM

D3 is only needed if a UVB light is not provided

Nos · 08-17-11, 06:08 PM

has anyone every injected vitamins into the F/T pray before feeding, i was talking to the guy at a local pet store and he said he has done it if he feels the snake needs vitamins.
my ball python is only about a year old and went off food for a month when i first got him. might be a case where it can help?