Calcium injections

[Raevyn]

I was wondering what your thoughts are about Calcium Gluconate injections for your beardies.

I took Korky into the vet yesterday and he informed me that they need a calcium booster shot in November and February to boost up for the winter months when they cannot be outside in the sunshine. Living in Washington state we do not have a lot of sun anyway in the winter. It sounds reasonable. But I was curious if this is something everyone does with their beardies. I have not seen it discussed anywhere.

Korky is the sick beardie we are nursing back to health. He is doing well, but Dr Barry says that he needs to boost calcium so he wants him to have 4 shots over the next 4 weeks and lots of outdoor sun time.

 

[alalsip]

Are you dusting all your food with calcium? Do you have calcium with d3 also? I am not sure injections are needed if you are properly caring for him now. Hopefully he will bulk up during this summer and be ok by winter. I'm not an expert by any means though, hopefully this will bump your thread to the top and get you more responses though!

 

[PatsyB]

Not sure about this one. I would think if he was a rescue and he's sickly the calcium shots now would be a good thing to give him a boost. If you are dusting all his food with calcium though and he is eating, I think his calcium levels should be tested before he gets more shots in November.

 

[Raevyn]

He has been very sickly. The vet says that his bones are flexible. So I am sure he can use the boost. He is doing better today after the shot. I saw him drink water for the first time in over a month.
He was abandoned at our local animal shelter in really really bad shape.

I just have never heard of them needing shots twice a year or they will die. I am thinking the guy is out for more $$, But then maybe he has a great success rate with keeping beardies alive. I just wanted to ask. Being newish at keeping beardies I don't have all the answers I want yet.

And yes, Gilbert and Korky both get regular dustings with calcium and vitamins. I love the idea of having his levels tested. He also said snakes should get the shots too. But my Corn snake, Izadora has been doing fine with out them for 8 years now.

 

[jarich]

Its probably a good thing given the present condition, but should not be something that is necessary on an ongoing basis, as long as you have proper lighting and diet for it. Given a good UV light source, he will produce his own Vit D at appropriate levels and so will naturally absorb the appropriate levels of calcium from his diet. Many people dont provide good UV lighting for their snakes, so I can see that being something that would help with them. However, because snakes also generally get a much higher calcium diet (rodent bones are full of calcium) you dont usually see the same types of calcium deficiency problems like you do with lizards. Sounds like your poor dragon got the double whammy of bad diet and bad lighting together.