Calcium vs. Calcium + D3

Do you use...


  • Total voters
    176
  • Poll closed .

Gregg M

Registered Member
Messages
3,055
Location
The Rotten Apple NYC
"Vitamin D3 is not even a vitamin... It is a steroid hormone..."

Technically, that statement is incorrect.

Vitamin D3, which is commonly referred to as "cholecalciferol", is actually a secosteriod. Secosteriods are compounds very similar to steriods but are chemically slightly different. I'm a bit rusty, but I believe they are missing links in two carbon chains.

Jon

D3 is still more closely related to a hormone than it is a vitamin...

Thanks for the clarification Jon...:main_thumbsup:
 

SFgeckos

New Member
Messages
842
Location
CA
No problem Gregg

No problem!

Honestly, I wish sometimes there was a more "scientific" section to the GF forums. I noticed there is an "articles/caresheets" section but it's completely empty.

Perhaps a sticky with basic references or a brief outline of basic animal physiology so forum members can read/learn? I know not everyone has access to animal physiology books or can understand in depth research papers.

For example, in the nutrition section there could be a brief outline of "how" calcium is regulated in the body (there are three hormones involved, parathyroid hormone from the parathyroid gland, calcitonin from the thyroid gland and calcitriol from the kidneys)...Maybe discuss the role of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) and how it is converted into its active/potent form...Talk about the action of calcitonin hormone on plasma calcium levels...or how the ratio of Calcium to Phosphorus is important, etc. Just basic topics that gecko hobbyists might be interested in?

Jon
 

robin

New Member
Messages
12,276
Location
Texas
jon very cool why dont you suggest it in the suggestion section. i do not seee why kelli would not do something like that :D
 

StatikStepz

www.ThePerfectGecko.com
Messages
1,427
Location
Lake Worth, FL
Actually you are thinking about the ratio between calcium and phosphorus...



No offence but I seriously think the words veterinarian and reptile should not be even spoken in the same sentence for the most part...

As rediculous as this may sound, I trust my own judgement and knowledge over most vets when it comes to reptiles...

You have a sick gecko...
You bring it to Dr. Doe...
He/she looks at the gecko...
Dr. Doe gives you antibiotics:main_huh:and liquid calcium...
Gecko eventually dies...
You bring it back to Dr. Doe...
Dr. Doe does a necropsy...
Dr. Doe says the geckos liver/kidney/heart failed...
The thing is, the actual cause is almost never looked into...

Vitamin D3 is not even a vitamin... It is a steroid hormone...

Any living thing can od on it...
D3 overdose can lead to hypercalcaemia, heart, liver and kidney damage/failure.

Some symptoms of D3 overdose are...
vomiting
anorexia
weakness

How many reptiles in the last year have had these symptoms and have died of heart, liver, or kidney failure just on this forum??? The bad part is that necropsies are rarely done and when they are done, they are incomplete...

Too much D3 also keeps the body from metabolizing ingested fats...

NOTE: **I'm not proving or disproving anything that anyone has said here in the discussion at hand, because honestly, i do not know either way. I'd say i'm pretty neutral on it. I'm not that scientific to know what it causes or whether or not it is a vitamin or hormone...***

With that being said, did you guys happen to read my post that is a page back or so? The long one saying how my gecko once took a HUGE mouthful of vitamin D3 while trying to catch food?

...So answer me this... (not cuz i'm challenging your statement or anything, just curious, and would like to know, if you do know the answer to it...) ... How come my gecko didn't vomit, or become anorexic or weak? It was just fine as if nothing happened after it. Or howcome he didn't get all big and ripped and buff w/ biceps, and a 6-pack, and all that? (lmao, j/k... that last question was a joke... don't know if you are talking about the same kind of steroids, lol)
 

SFgeckos

New Member
Messages
842
Location
CA
StatikStepz: Please read a basic physiology book to understand the role of Vitamin D3 and how it is absorbed. I could give you a brief outline, but that would defeat the purpose of "self education" and seeking out knowledge! We're all learning together, especially if you want a "Phd" in geckology =)

Jon
 

StatikStepz

www.ThePerfectGecko.com
Messages
1,427
Location
Lake Worth, FL
StatikStepz: Please read a basic physiology book to understand the role of Vitamin D3 and how it is absorbed. I could give you a brief outline, but that would defeat the purpose of "self education" and seeking out knowledge! We're all learning together, especially if you want a "Phd" in geckology =)

Jon

lol, well i don't care that much to actually go and get a book on physiology to "understand the role of vitamin D3 and how it is absorbed"... It's all good. I was just curious, the kind of question i asked isn't going to be answered in a book. Self-Education also means askin questions and gettin answers.

I don't really care that much about the whole "vitamin w/ D3" concern, cuz just like i said, i have a gecko that took a mouthful of it once, and nothing happened... so thats about all my concern was. And esp. after Gregg's post... It makes alot of sense. So as for me, i fear no D3!! And it can be "absorbed" however it wants to be absorbed, just as long as my geckos are gettin enough of it, its fine with me! lol
 

Dama682

Cautious Gecko Firsttimer
Messages
28
I'm wondering if it's simply just that there's such a minute amount in Calcium+D3 powder that the gecko would have to eat half the container for it to actually develop health problems.

I'm thinking the calcium would start to have negative impacts on the gecko before the D3 can actually do anything to the gecko.
 

gitrdone0420

Gotta catch 'em all!
Messages
2,664
Location
Jacksonville, Fl
Actually you are thinking about the ratio between calcium and phosphorus...



No offence but I seriously think the words veterinarian and reptile should not be even spoken in the same sentence for the most part...

As rediculous as this may sound, I trust my own judgement and knowledge over most vets when it comes to reptiles...

You have a sick gecko...
You bring it to Dr. Doe...
He/she looks at the gecko...
Dr. Doe gives you antibiotics:main_huh:and liquid calcium...
Gecko eventually dies...
You bring it back to Dr. Doe...
Dr. Doe does a necropsy...
Dr. Doe says the geckos liver/kidney/heart failed...
The thing is, the actual cause is almost never looked into...

Vitamin D3 is not even a vitamin... It is a steroid hormone...

Any living thing can od on it...
D3 overdose can lead to hypercalcaemia, heart, liver and kidney damage/failure.

Some symptoms of D3 overdose are...
vomiting
anorexia
weakness

How many reptiles in the last year have had these symptoms and have died of heart, liver, or kidney failure just on this forum??? The bad part is that necropsies are rarely done and when they are done, they are incomplete...

Too much D3 also keeps the body from metabolizing ingested fats...

This is so true! The vets around here just seem to know nothing about reptiles! I had two vets look at one gecko and they want to tell me that she has MBD. She has NO SIGNS of MBD, she has plenty of calcium and in her XRays, the bone densities looked fantastic! And plus, how do you have MBD if you have calcium pockets? Just curious... Her limbs are perfect, etc... They just want to slap that label on her because they have NO CLUE! Ugh, its so frustrating... (Oh, plus the one said that mine had MBD because I wasnt keeping a UVA/UVB light on her... ) Yea. Sure.

Anyways, I dust mine every other feeding with regular Vit D, they have a bottle cap of Vitamin D in their cages and I do Vit D with D3 once a week =]
 

Ross85

New Member
Messages
94
I used to use the shake and bake method almost every feeding with the repashy calcium plus, until my gecko wouldn't even touch anything covered with the powder. I think I was giving him too much calcium and he knew it. Now I just leave a supplement with calcium, D3 and other vitamins in the tank. I let the gecko take it when he needs it. I have done this for almost a year and my gecko is fine. I see him licking small amounts of the calcium every now and then. Just weighed him today at 145 grams and 11+ inches long. Active and healthy.
 

ILoveGeckos14

New Member
Messages
944
Location
Florida
Actually you are thinking about the ratio between calcium and phosphorus...



No offence but I seriously think the words veterinarian and reptile should not be even spoken in the same sentence for the most part...

As rediculous as this may sound, I trust my own judgement and knowledge over most vets when it comes to reptiles...

You have a sick gecko...
You bring it to Dr. Doe...
He/she looks at the gecko...
Dr. Doe gives you antibiotics:main_huh:and liquid calcium...
Gecko eventually dies...
You bring it back to Dr. Doe...
Dr. Doe does a necropsy...
Dr. Doe says the geckos liver/kidney/heart failed...
The thing is, the actual cause is almost never looked into...

Vitamin D3 is not even a vitamin... It is a steroid hormone...

Any living thing can od on it...
D3 overdose can lead to hypercalcaemia, heart, liver and kidney damage/failure.

Some symptoms of D3 overdose are...
vomiting
anorexia
weakness

How many reptiles in the last year have had these symptoms and have died of heart, liver, or kidney failure just on this forum??? The bad part is that necropsies are rarely done and when they are done, they are incomplete...

Too much D3 also keeps the body from metabolizing ingested fats...


I have been looking into this a lot lately and I wonder why it doesn't seem like there has been much thought about the calcium: phosphorus ratios in feeder insects. I have noticed in other hobbies they will account for this. For example those that own sugar gliders will balance out their mealworms, and horse breeders try to avoid feeding too much wheat bran to the horses because of its high levels of phosphorus. Either way here's an interesting article on gut loading insects : http://nagonline.net/Technical Papers/NAGFS00397Insects-JONIFEB24,2002MODIFIED.pdf
 
R

ricardo

Guest
you need to use calcium without D3 at every feeding and 2 times a week multivitamins with D3 is good, the dish in the terrarium should have the calcium and vitamins together at all time - proportion to 1:1.

the multivitamins have good amout of D3 and dusting the insects 2 times a week it's very good and the gecko can't overdose doing this way :D

regards
 

Whitey

New Member
Messages
333
Location
Navarre, FL
I say "no calcium".... just to throw a curve in this discussion...

(btw, calcium w/ D3 in a bowl, never dust any meals..lol).
 
R

ricardozorro1990

Guest
in my opinion u can use for all feeding only the calcium powder with 35% to 37% and calcium with D3 only one time a week ... multi vitamins u can dust one time for week! doing this u willhave a healthy gecko and a nice fat tai l:D

regards
 

Shera

New Member
Messages
405
Location
Ontario Canada
You need both. My D3 and calcium is in the multivitamin. I use Repashy calcium plus (a multivitamin with Ca and D3) on feeders daily, and have plain calcium in the bowl.
 

LizMarie

New Member
Messages
2,002
Location
NYC
I use Repashy calcium plus (a multivitamin with Ca and D3) on feeders daily, and have plain calcium in the bowl.

This is what I do but I don't dust daily because I tend to forget half the time and I can't see a white roach on the white paper towel, lol.
 

musick

New Member
Messages
33
Ive never seen any real evidence that cal+d3 is harmful in the long term. Being using it for 10 years and have never had any problems.

Semi-related, I have been going through more than 3 gallons of milk per week for about 15 years and tan in the sun almost weekly. I recently had to have a physical for my new (-ish) job and was found to be in excellent health.
 

CapCitySteve

New Member
Messages
152
Location
Columbus, OH
Can anyone find a scientific journal article that proves D3 is detrimental? If so I'd liek to see it.

I use just D3 and I also use vionate / and herptivite.
 

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