PLEASE HELP!!!!

[james.w]

just make sure the UVB is within the distance recommended.

 

[Logie_Bear]

Reading all these comments about calcium suplimentation and D3 is very informative. I understand that the D3 is not 'necessicary' per sey, but is it actually detrimental to tegu health? All of the calcium suppliments sold around town at our petstores has D3 in it. They dont carry any of the calcium powder w/o D3. Is this going to be a problem in the long-run? And if so, is there a webpage you would reccomend purchasing a non-d3 supliment?

 

[james.w]

I don't know for sure, but I would guess calcium w/D3 won't have any negative effects.

http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-food-supplements/11442-513260/zoo-med-repti-calcium-without-d3.html?utm_source=gcs&utm_term=11442-513260

 

[Logie_Bear]

Ok, what I use currently is Jurassical w D3. But when I was at the shop the other day I was looking around at other suppliments aaaaaalll their cal supliments had D3 so I wanted to be sure that wouldnt wind up being a problem. :3

 

[jdpFL]

UV light causes vitamin D3 to be produced in the tegus body, which is necessary for metabolizing calcium. Without the D3, the calcium doesn't get used effectively in the body, and can result in MBD. However, some sources say that D3 in large amounts can be toxic to tegus. I've yet to find anything concrete on this, just a lot of advice to make sure your tegu gets UV for D3 production, and not to rely on supplements. IMO, natural is probably always best, calcium from the bones of whole prey, UV from the sun, etc. But unless your full time job is tegu care, and you can successfully duplicate exactly what life would be like in the wild for them...obviously supplements have to be used. We dust everything, sometimes with D3, sometimes without, depending on what we have on hand. Have no problems so far and have actually reversed some existing MBD that was going on when we got him.