calcium, TUMS and alfalfa tablets

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Posted by Ig Chick on August 21, 2001 at 23:34:35:

In Reply to: Re: Calcium and stuff??? posted by Craig Loose on August 21, 2001 at 09:02:52:

At a lecture I attended roughly a year ago, the doctor who spoke advised against the use of TUMS as a calcium supplement. He claimed that they cause seizures. When I delved a little deeper into the matter it seems that OVER supplementation of TUMS can cause seizures in green iguanas but used properly there should be no problem. We have used TUMS here to supplement a gravid female and sickly iguanas with no ill effects. However I will note that on the gravid female, her glucose came back slightly higher than acceptable on several bloodtests done at the time. To the best of my knowledge, there have been no long term tests done on TUMS and iguanas.

When we do need to supplement and let me say here that if an iguana is being fed properly there should be no need for supplementation on a regular basis, we prefer to use liquid calcium. The drops are easy to administer and by doing it this way, you can ensure that he or she is actually getting the supplement. Here's the key though, if your iguana is not getting enough UV that means there is no D3 production going on and no matter how much calcium you force into him or her it won't do a dang thing.

As for alfalfa tablets, I can only offer the following. We feed out dog on a biologically approved raw food diet, otherwise known as B.A.R.F. As part of this way of feeding, we offer ground alfalfa and kelp as supplements to the diet. When put together, they make a complete vitamin and mineral supplement as well as providing some degree of antibacterial protection. If the same is true of iguanas, I don't know but it is definetly something to look into. We do know from varied soures that mature alfalfa is a good source of plant protein for iguanas.

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Thanks....more Craig Loose 08/21/01 (1)
- Re: Thanks....more Ig Chick 08/22/01 (0)

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: At a lecture I attended roughly a year ago, the doctor who spoke advised against the use of TUMS as a calcium supplement. He claimed that they cause seizures. When I delved a little deeper into the matter it seems that OVER supplementation of TUMS can cause seizures in green iguanas but used properly there should be no problem. We have used TUMS here to supplement a gravid female and sickly iguanas with no ill effects. However I will note that on the gravid female, her glucose came back slightly higher than acceptable on several bloodtests done at the time. To the best of my knowledge, there have been no long term tests done on TUMS and iguanas. : When we do need to supplement and let me say here that if an iguana is being fed properly there should be no need for supplementation on a regular basis, we prefer to use liquid calcium. The drops are easy to administer and by doing it this way, you can ensure that he or she is actually getting the supplement. Here's the key though, if your iguana is not getting enough UV that means there is no D3 production going on and no matter how much calcium you force into him or her it won't do a dang thing. : As for alfalfa tablets, I can only offer the following. We feed out dog on a biologically approved raw food diet, otherwise known as B.A.R.F. As part of this way of feeding, we offer ground alfalfa and kelp as supplements to the diet. When put together, they make a complete vitamin and mineral supplement as well as providing some degree of antibacterial protection. If the same is true of iguanas, I don't know but it is definetly something to look into. We do know from varied soures that mature alfalfa is a good source of plant protein for iguanas.

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