Rep-Cal Calcium with Vit D3.....

[Blue Crab of PAIN!!!]

Hello everyone.

Earlier today I was in a local pet shop looking at the available lizards. They told me they were getting Arg. Tegu hatchlings in a few days earlier. Well, when I got there I was informed that they actually ended up with Columbian Tegus

Yeah, screw that.

They also sold their last baby blue-tongue skink literally minutes before I arrived.

So I was thinking that I could get some supplies in the mean time. I saw some "zoomed calcium without D3" or something like that. I couldn't remember if this site said that this brand was very good or a load of crap, so I asked the dealer. He recommended this stuff.

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and I bought it. He said that it works very well for him (but then again, he keeps bearded dragons, not Tegus). A few hours after I got back I put down a deposit for one of Varnyard's hatchlings.

Well, it wasn't until I got home did I realize that I completely missed out on the recommended brand. Under ingredients this stuff says "Calcium Carbonate with vitamin D3 suppliment".

Calcium Carbonate... hmm...
That stuff sounds familiar from Bio class and Chem class.
Oh that's right, it's found in the shells of mollusks (and crustaceans to a limited extent) and limestone.... Did I just buy crushed snails and powdered rocks?

This website warns against using calcium supplements made of crushed oyster shells. Does the Calcium Carbonate indicated that it is indeed crushed oyster shells, or can tegus process straight-up CaCO3 into usable calcium?

Thank you all in advance.


Oh yeah, and I watched Varnyard's video about D3 and UVB. Yes I am still going to provide UVA/UVB lights in spite of the D3 supplement.

 

[Blue Crab of PAIN!!!]

This also begs the question, is there a way to diagnose a potential Vitamin D3 overdose?

Between UV light and the supplement I don't want to give the tegu too much. Is there a way to tell if you need to cut back?

 

[HorseCaak]

To answer your questions, read carefully through the care sheets on this site.

First off, ZooMed Repti-Cal WITHOUT D3 is the best and most recommended on this site. It's what I use and it's what Bobby Hill swears by. It does NOT have crushed oyster shells. You can tell, it is finer than powdered sugar. THe kinds with crushed oyster shells are kind of sand-like...

Secondly, you won't really risk overdosing because you will be getting it WITHOUT D3.

http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-supplements/513260/zoo-med-repti-calcium-without-d3.html

The link above is what you want, get the 8oz. When the tegus get big, you go through it quick. They need this stuff because the organ meats you are feeding don't provide sufficient calcium because there is no bones in them. Pinkies and fuzzies don't provide efficient calcium either so always supplement. Not until the mice are hoppers do they have the bones structure to provide calcium, but I still add calcium powder to the mice. Also get ZooMed ReptiVitamin powder too. I alternate the foods with the different powders.

PS: My Tegu loves the taste of her zoomed repti calcium. She literally licks it up!
And also, Tegus aren't like people. I've given high calcium meals and she does not get constipated like when humans eat lots of cheese...

Good Luck. Hope this helped.