Vitamin A Supplementation?
- Thread starter Clink
- Start date
Vitamin A is very important, so there is such a thing. You can supply it with careful gutloading, but it's best to supply it with the vitamins you use to dust your feeders. Beta-carotene is converted to Viamin A, and is safe, no over dosing on that. Direct (pre-formed) Vitamin a can cause an over dose, so it's not commonly found in supplements. However, there's some evidence that the geckos do need a bit of pre-formed, so you'll see that the good quality supplements do have some Vitamin A in addition to beta-carotene.
They don't need a lot of it, but they do need it. Vitamin A is one of the fat-soluble vitamins (along with D, E and K) so they're stored in the liver. That's why you can get an over dose - any that's not used is stored, new supply is added, eventually there's too much. A little goes a long way with them, and if need be, the gecko can resort to using what's stored. Unlike water-soluble vitamins like C, which allow excess to get flushed out of the body there's no over dose. However, in these vitamins, there's very little back-up supply if the diet and supplementation doesn't supply enough.
Clink
New member
You shouldn't give D3 to leos. The combination of D3 and calcium can make them uptake too much calcium and make them sick/overdose. Try finding calcium without D3 in it for leos. Only reptiles that need large amounts of calcium need D3, like bearded dragons. A multivitamin like Reptivite is what I use and it has beta-carotene.
Just where did you get that info from?
Leos, along with any other living thing that's got bones made with calcium, need D3, either as a vitamin or a hormone. D3 is either a vitamin or homone, depending on how it's obtained. A vitamin is a nutrient that the body does not make, it's absorbed via food or administered directly. That means D3 added to food is a vitamin. A hormone is something the body makes itself - so exposure to UVB along with a proper diet to supply the 'raw materials' allows your body to make D3. In this case, it's a hormone.
If you supply them with adequate UVB in the correct wavelength, they can make their own D3. However, most of us don't use UV lights with leos, so they don't get any UVB, they need to get their D3 from food and/or supplements. Without D3, they won't absorb the calcium, no matter how much thick you apply it to the food.
You have to be careful not to supply too much D3, but you do have to make sure they get it one way or the other.
Allee Toler
Member
They can't digest Calcium (nor can we Humans) without D3. Humans and other animals get D3 from sunlight. I don't go out in the sun for my skin cancer, so I take a supplement. Reptiles in captivity don't go out in the sun, so they need a supplement.
That's why they sell milk with D3.
That's why they sell milk with D3.
Melonhelmet
New member
No because they need several hours of UV to keep the production going.
Melonhelmet
New member
Like with people 1 hour of UV is better then 5 minuites.
Allee Toler
Member
Technically, to produce enough vitamin D to digest a day's supply of calcium, you need to be in the sun for a full half hour.
I know because when I first got diagnosed, I used to have to sit outside with a timer in a light white sweater so I can get the UV Rays without the bright light burning my skin.
It didn't help that I'm lactose intolerant either. I had to take my vitaCal in the mornings and sit outside an hour later. Blehh. Bad memories. Now I just stick with the calcium shots. Haha. So much easier.
Isn't that funny? GiGi has as many health issues as me. Only she's recovering. I can't. Mine's from being premature/genetic.
I know because when I first got diagnosed, I used to have to sit outside with a timer in a light white sweater so I can get the UV Rays without the bright light burning my skin.
It didn't help that I'm lactose intolerant either. I had to take my vitaCal in the mornings and sit outside an hour later. Blehh. Bad memories. Now I just stick with the calcium shots. Haha. So much easier.
Isn't that funny? GiGi has as many health issues as me. Only she's recovering. I can't. Mine's from being premature/genetic.
Melonhelmet
New member
I take it you have skin cancer?