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Posted by PH Meliss on November 06, 2002 at 12:57:15:
In Reply to: Re: Egg bound & calcium deficient ........HELP! posted by Mr. D on November 05, 2002 at 09:34:22:
Even though the point is basically moot at this point on this particular iguana, I thought I'd chime in anyway.
First off: If a gravid iguana develops MBD it is not just because the development of the eggs and shells demand so much high calcium. It means that the iguana was already deficient in calcium before she became gravid. To ensure an iguana has sufficient calcium to make it through breeding season and laying, a female has to be in the hyPERcalemic range before the season starts. If she is in the "normal" range, she is going to develop gestational MBD. This means that the iguana keeper has to anticipate every breeding season and start boosting dietary calcium 2-3 months before the anticipated start of breeding season and continue the boosted supplementation during the entire time the iguana is feeding. The keeper also has to get the iguana checked out by the reptile vet. Unfortunately, a lot of vets still don't realize that "normal" calcium levels in a gravid lizard actually means that lizard is already in the throes of MBD.
Once the gravid iguana is so depleted in calcium that she requires calcium injections, oral calcium from regular supplement sources is pretty much worthless: she will not be able to get enough calcium from the powder added to her food or shoved down her throat. Calcium injections need to be continued, along with Neo-Calglucon (or whatever it's new name is - calcium glubionate) which gets much more calcium into the iguana in a more easily metabolizable form).
For those who haven't already read it, please read my Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation for Herps. It discusses some of the made-for-reptile products, including the sprays and microfine powders (the latter of which one could make at home by processing any powdered calcium in an electric coffee/nut grinder - how do you think powdered sugar is made?! ;).
:However, Tums interferes with vitamin D absorption,
I've never heard this, in humans or in iguanas. Lack of sufficient D3, too much D3, and imbalances in other vitamins, minerals and trace elements required for the proper metabolism of calcium can lead to calcium deficiency, but I've never heard of calcium, carbonate or otherwise, interfering/inhibiting with D3...
I address Tums briefly in my Vitamin Supplementation article. The ingredients in all Tums products are basically the same. The ingredients in Tums Regular Strength, Assorted Fruit Flavor are Sucrose, Starch, Talc, Mineral Oil, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Adipic Acid, Sodium Polyphosphate, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 10 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Red 27 Lake, Red 30 Lake.
Tums were developed to treat acid indigestion, not to be a calcium supplement. Tums contains a sweetener (which igs don't need), mineral oil (which igs don't need), starch (WIDN), talc (WIDN and which is now categorized as a probable carcinogen and can interfere with the function of other medications), sodium (WIDN) and lots of artificial colors (WIDN and might I remind everyone that white is a color, too? ;)
So, not only does the iguana not net anywhere near the amount of calcium contained in a single Tums, the iguana is getting lots of things she doesn't need, which means every pinch or sprinkle of TUMS contains even less calcium--available or otherwise--than a similarly sized pinch or sprinkle of calcium carbonate, and far less than the amount of metabolizable calcium in a calcium injection or oral product such as Neo-Calglucon.
My Egging & Incubation article discusses how to treat gravidity-induced MBD, but prevention is a heckuva lot better than trying to keep the iguana from dying from egg retention, rupture, organ failure, or surgical complications. If you are raising an iguana properly (diet and environment) she will become sexually mature at 12 months and hit her first breeding season at 18 months, and then once a year at about the same time very year (unless the weather patterns are significantly abnormal or you move to a latitude sufficiently distant from the one you are…but for which you can prepare and be ready annually thereafter).
I think I've hit on the things I was thinking about as I was reading this thread…
