BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

Hey guys, I'm probably getting annoying with all these newbie questions, hehe, but I had a question about getting a vitamin powder. I know they aren't really necessary with a balanced diet, but i figure adding a little on occassion can't hurt if it is truly got nutrients that my skink can benefit from. It would also ensure he's getting what he needs if he is avoiding parts of his food variety. What brands or blends would you guys recommend? something like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Reptivite-Reptile-V ... dZViewItem

If you feed properly according to the food charts and suggestions in the care sheet, you will need no supplementation whatsoever.

The only thing I would suggest in rare cases is pure calcium carbonate if for some reason you don't have proper food available, such as living in a very, very small town.

KW

I agree with Kyle, I dust morio worms with the calcium carbonate, then he gets what he needs from them if like you say he avoids his greens, one other product I've found is a spray meant for iguanas, basically its a mango flavour/scent and its 2:1 cal:pot, I spray in on sometimes if I'm out of greens and I spray in on any food to gut load the insects I'll feed, added neutrients can build to toxic levels if over done.

ah, i'll prolly just pick up some calcium then, appreciate the feedback guys!

so something like what i link below would be ok to occassionally sprinkle on insects if i run out of greens or something?

http://www.amazon.com/Calcium-Carbonate ... 083&sr=8-2

Yep i agree with Kyle as well ,however if there sick crook and wont eat there greens . I add vitimins to them like no tommorow , there hanging on by a thread when tube feeding .So there is a place for Vitimins round my camp . Ya can ask to many question mate Always ask champ .

This puree is loaded with vitimins , chick starter ..the whole 9 yards goes into the mix.
.This is only cause they can,t or wont eat . But i give mine a drop from time to time .

those are beautiful shinglebacks! Hopefully they are eating better now! I appreciate all the feedback, guys! Such a friendly forum.

Sadly they all lived but Uncle Mickey . The one been tubed .He had his nose run over by a car breaking his mouth and he had bobtail influenza ..died 3rd april 07 .

Yere the forems are ORSM . some cool interesting people , i phone and email...Zack,s done a magic job with help from all the girls artistic talents , with forems and calenders ...Big cheers for the Ladie,s to

I'd really suggest trying to feed properly FIRST, then if you are absolutely stuck, THEN get something like calcium-carbonate.

Notice I didn't mention a brand-name of reptile supplement dust, because they all are TERRIBLE. You might want to find dust that is PURE calcium carbonate, nothing else, made from eggshells or oyster shells.

Edward always says, "Nature knows best," so I say, do the best you can in place of nature.

KW

Thanks for the info, Kyle (weird calling someone else that, my name is Kyle also, lol) I'm definitely going to focus on diet first and foremost, I just didn't want to be running to the store for calcium or anything one day if i couldn't find any decent fresh greens. If i didn't learn anything else from my Nutrition class a couple semesters ago, it was how much more your body can get out of vitamins and other nutrients when they come from the foods you eat, and not in supplement form.

P.S. I got my little guy to eat pieces of blueberry and raspberry this evening, and out of my hand even! i was worried he might not be big into fruits either, hehe. But after using the food chopper, i could tell he was eating more greens with his meat than he had been when i chopped it up normally, so the calcium shouldn't really be an issue.

DeadEye wrote::wink: Sadly they all lived but Uncle Mickey . The one been tubed .He had his nose run over by a car breaking his mouth and he had bobtail influenza ..died 3rd april 07 .

Yere the forems are ORSM . some cool interesting people , i phone and email...Zack,s done a magic job with help from all the girls artistic talents , with forems and calenders ...Big cheers for the Ladie,s to

Awww... I'm sorry... I saw the thread with the pics of him, poor little guy.

KyleWeiss wrote:Notice I didn't mention a brand-name of reptile supplement dust, because they all are TERRIBLE. You might want to find dust that is PURE calcium carbonate, nothing else, made from eggshells or oyster shells.

Edward always says, "Nature knows best," so I say, do the best you can in place of nature.

KW

i have one that is commercially available, it says its manufactured from oyster shell ground into fine powder with added vitamin D3.

active constituents: 350mg/g Calcium (as calcium carbonate), 70mg/g cholefalciferol (vitamin D3)


is this one crap or does it sound alright?

thesilverbeast wrote:

KyleWeiss wrote:Notice I didn't mention a brand-name of reptile supplement dust, because they all are TERRIBLE. You might want to find dust that is PURE calcium carbonate, nothing else, made from eggshells or oyster shells.

Edward always says, "Nature knows best," so I say, do the best you can in place of nature.

KW

i have one that is commercially available, it says its manufactured from oyster shell ground into fine powder with added vitamin D3.

active constituents: 350mg/g Calcium (as calcium carbonate), 70mg/g cholefalciferol (vitamin D3)


is this one crap or does it sound alright?

You need to watch out for D3 additives as they don't need to be added if you supply UVB light, someone here said keep all your egg shells and grind into dust, I do that now, I have a garden full of snails so thats his calcium dose, with greens of course I'll keep the dust till winter

I try for the best diet possible, but I don't trust myself, so I always add a sprinkling of calcium - is that a bad thing?

Nature's Gift wrote:I try for the best diet possible, but I don't trust myself, so I always add a sprinkling of calcium - is that a bad thing?

That was my feeling also, I would hate to find out he wasn't getting enough when i thought he was, and developed the spine problems or anything else.

Well actually, too much calcium can be a bad thing, too.

If you provide your skink with a good and varied diet, plus a good dose of Vitamin Sunshine as often as you can manage (even just 15 minutes a day or an hour on weekends), you won't need supplements.

Yep Lisa,s right no calcium every day for skinks ...Little rug rats like a drop but - And 2 Kyle,s Ew Thats gonna be fun Kyle & Kyle

Lisa wrote:Well actually, too much calcium can be a bad thing, too.

If you provide your skink with a good and varied diet, plus a good dose of Vitamin Sunshine as often as you can manage (even just 15 minutes a day or an hour on weekends), you won't need supplements.

Yeah, he gobbled up a good bit of turnip greens and collards today, so i don't think i have much to worry about really. The food chopper made it a lot harder for him to be picky, hehe.

so far he likes blueberries and banana too... not as much a raspberry fan yet, but he's eaten a couple small pieces.

I've also been taking him out in the afternoons if my girlfriend is here to hold the dog leash, or holding him out on the patio. That should help get him some extra vitamin D until i can pick up a good uv-b bulb this weekend.

DeadEye wrote:Yep Lisa,s right no calcium every day for skinks ...Little rug rats like a drop but - And 2 Kyle,s Ew Thats gonna be fun Kyle & Kyle

hehe, yeah, not a super common name, so i'm not used to competition, haha.

I've got one who will not eat fruit or veg if I give it to him as food on a plate. He won't even eat the yummy stuff if fruit or veg is present no matter how much it's mushed in. But I've discovered that if he's out wandering, either around the house or outside, and I chuck pieces down on the ground in his vicinity to 'find', then he'll eat it.

I bet he thinks he's being so smart not eating what I give him specifically and only 'finding' his own food. Teenagers

I only discovered this a few weeks ago when he happened on some bits of squash left on the ground outside that another one of mine had left behind. Since then I've been chucking down blueberries and mushroom pieces and zucchini when he's out and about and voila! He's no longer simply a junk food addict I am so smart, I am so smart, s m r t, I mean s m a r t