Calcium Crashes

[MelissaSR]

I am sure we have all experienced them one time or another and since it is breeding season I figured maybe we have a tips thread on what you have found works well for you.

As their day to day calcium supplement I use Miner-All indoor formula (also what calcium I use for my gutload for the insects). I also keep in hand is Repashy Rescue Cal, I compound this and either give it orally, or I mix it into their Pangea if I do a therapeutic round (just give them all a little extra boost during the breeding season).

I also maintain all of my breeders, and unpaired females under UVB, Arcadia 6% T5 to be exact.

What works for you guys?

 

[Michael]

This will read like I'm bragging, but I sincerely don't mean it that way: I haven't had any calcium crashing females since I wholly transitioned to my own diet a few years ago, and started feeding more insects.

Back when I was trying to feed Repashy CGD or some of the early versions of other diets, I had this issue pretty frequently and used mango baby food LOADED with Miner-All, as well as Repashy Rescue-cal.

I think a steady diet with lots of dusted insects and a fruit diet with the right amount of Ca and protein are keys to preventing it from happening at all. If it does, I'd recommend baby food with a generous amount of calcium mixed in.

 

[MelissaSR]

I haven't had it happen in a few years since offering rescue cal on a therapeutic level (monthly starting in march-September in their food), but many people may still encounter it. Figured having tips on how to deal with it would be nice as a search topic for people in times of need.

 

[Rufus]

Just wondered what kind of dosage people use. I haven't had a calcium crash but I have liquid calcium just in case

 

[Michael]

@ArborealsAnonymous has the knowledge with liquid dosing!

 

[MelissaSR]

The dosing really depends on the calcium you are using and its concentration. If it is the product from the pet store that has been known to cause chemical burns, I wouldn't use that. Most calcium however is 1cc to every 1kg (think 1:1 ratio), just remember 1g=0.001kg. So lets say you have a 65g gecko, that would be 0.065kg, which equates to 0.065cc.

One thing I do want to note if you buy calcium in liquid form, the calcium is only good for 3 months.

 

[ArborealsAnonymous]

Just wondered what kind of dosage people use. I haven't had a calcium crash but I have liquid calcium just in case

Before you can accurately dose calcium, you need to know exactly what concentration you have. That should be on the label for your calcium. Is there a way to upload a spreadsheet to the forum? I use a spreadsheet where I made a formula where I can plug in the calcium concentration and the weight of geckos in grams and it calculates the ml for me.

 

[ArborealsAnonymous]

The dosing really depends on the calcium you are using and its concentration. If it is the product from the pet store that has been known to cause chemical burns, I wouldn't use that. Most calcium however is 1cc to every 1kg (think 1:1 ratio), just remember 1g=0.001kg. So lets say you have a 65g gecko, that would be 0.065kg, which equates to 0.065cc.

One thing I do want to note if you buy calcium in liquid form, the calcium is only good for 3 months.

Hmmmm, the liquid calcium I got from my vet they did not say its only good for 3 months? What kind of calcium are you using?

 

[MelissaSR]

I use rescue cal as I had stated farther up, compounding it is easy. And ask your vet, it is just a general guideline they have around a 3 month stability storage shelf life. In powder forum the calcium is less likely to separate in the solution as when it is placed into suspension. It isn't to say it wont still work on a therapeutic level, but in those cases of a crash personally I would opt for a fresh supply rather than 3 month+ suspension.

 

[ArborealsAnonymous]

I use rescue cal as I had stated farther up, compounding it is easy. And ask your vet, it is just a general guideline they have around a 3 month stability storage shelf life. In powder forum the calcium is less likely to separate in the solution as when it is placed into suspension. It isn't to say it wont still work on a therapeutic level, but in those cases of a crash personally I would opt for a fresh supply rather than 3 month+ suspension.

That is excellent information, thank you. My bottle has an expiration of dec 2020 but it is also calcium gluconate, 23% and has boric acid as a solubilizing agent. I imagine the difference in shelf stability are from different formulations. We should all be super careful about reading labels because there is such a wide variety in products.

 

[Dragonborn Exotics (Ryan)]

Here is a picture of the liquid calcium I use. Obtained from Gotham Geckos. They offer multiple flavors as well. You can see they include a little chart on the bottom of how many ml a gecko should recieve based on their weight. I think they also include a syringe with the liquid calcium.

 

[Rufus]

This is what I have, haven't used it though, it's just in case I need it.

 

[Equatorial Ecosystems]

Just a note on expiration dates versus actual degradation and loss of efficacy in supplements, there is an expiration date on each bottle, but that is typically the unopened shelf life in ideal conditions: normal temps, low humidity "stored in a cool, dry place". Once a supplement bottle is opened, the seal is broken, and it is exposed to the environment around it. It's recommended that you replace Repashy Calcium Plus every 6 months once opened, and that is keeping it refrigerated. I haven't seen published dates for any of the other supplements, but I have made it a habit to replace all of my supplement rotation biannually to ensure everything I use is fresh.

 

[Michael]

Just a note on expiration dates versus actual degradation and loss of efficacy in supplements, there is an expiration date on each bottle, but that is typically the unopened shelf life in ideal conditions: normal temps, low humidity "stored in a cool, dry place". Once a supplement bottle is opened, the seal is broken, and it is exposed to the environment around it. It's recommended that you replace Repashy Calcium Plus every 6 months once opened, and that is keeping it refrigerated. I haven't seen published dates for any of the other supplements, but I have made it a habit to replace all of my supplement rotation biannually to ensure everything I use is fresh.

Thanks for sharing that... I had no idea. Also, welcome to the forum!