1 week of completely refusing calcium dusted food

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karlys

Member
Hello,

A week ago, I posted in the feeding section about how my 7-8 month old has been refusing to eat dusted dubias. At that point, it had been going on for a couple weeks but I kept feeling bad for "starving" him by only offering dusted ones so he only went about 3 days without eating during that time period. He'll happily eat non dusted ones and greens. This past week, though, I only offered him dusted ones and water and he hasn't eaten at all. He's still a growing boy so I'm hesitant to keep offering him food I know he won't eat for much longer.

I was using Fluker's before this past week but, at the suggestion of someone on here, I bought Rep-Cal. I tried Zoo Med one day as well.

I've tried putting half dusted and half not but he doesn't get immediately interested so, within 15 minutes, the calcium ends up all over all the dubias anyway as they run around his bowl and then he's definitely not interested.

I haven't resorted to feeding him calcium via baby food yet but I'm afraid it might be my only option.

What should I do?

He lives in a 40 gallon breeder:
90-95 hot side
100-107 basking spots (depending on how high up on his log he wants to go)
80 cool side
36" Arcadia T5 tube with reflector, mounted inside tank 9" above highest point he can reach
Half slate/half paper towels
Dubias are the main staple, along with collard greens and bok choy
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
This happens sometimes, especially if you switch brands of calcium or multivitamin supplements. However, at 7-8 months old he still needs a ton of live insect protein every single day, so withholding live insects from him is not a good idea at all, you don't want him to end up being stunted in growth due to not enough live insect protein. He still has a good 5-6 months of really serious growing to do, so I don't at all advise withholding live insects from him at all. I'd keep trying to feed him the dusted ones, but if he refuses them but will eat them undusted then you'll just have to feed him them that way, because he needs the protein/food.

So you say that you were using Flukers brand of calcium and he was fine with that, then you changed to RepCal and that's when he stopped eating the dusted bugs? Have you tried going back to the Flukers calcium? And how about his Multivitamin powder?
 

karlys

Member
Original Poster
Yeah, I'll definitely stop only offering him dusted ones. As soon as I'm done typing this reply, I'll clean out his bowl so it doesn't smell like the calcium anymore and get him some fresh dubias from the bin. I was just so worried about his calcium intake and MBD that I wanted to try to get him to be so hungry that he got over it... But that's obviously really not working and only non dusted bugs are better than no bugs at all.

I edited my original post for clarity because I realized I'd written it wrong. I was using Fluker's but the refusing to eat dusted bugs started out of the blue about 3 wks ago. I continued to try to offer Fluker's for the first 2 weeks and switched to Rep-Cal last week after I posted on here the first time about it. He also refuses the Rep-Cal multivitamin. :(
 

karlys

Member
Original Poster
Definitely not an appetite problem! He ravenously attacked his bugs as soon as he realized they had no calcium. It's fascinating that he can see and/or smell the difference so well.
 

EllenD

Gray-bearded Member
Okay, I gotcha...

I understand what you were trying to do, but like you said, it's not working, lol. He needs to eat either way.

I totally understand about the MBD issue too, that's always a worry...Do you give him a multivitamin? If so, is he refusing that too, or just the calcium?

The recommendation I can make for you to try is switching to Repashy Calcium Plus, especially if he's still okay with his multivitamin...But even if he's not okay with his multivitamin either, the Repashy Calcium Plus is a combination Reptile Multivitamin and Calcium supplement with D3. The difference is that all of the vitamins/minerals in it come from ONLY natural sources, there are no synthetic vitamins/minerals in it at all, and as a result it apparently tastes better, which actually does make sense. For example, all of the Vitamin A in it comes from a natural source of Beta Carotene. So it also prevents any risk of vitamin toxicity to them, which happens more than it should...They always seem to really, really like it, I've been using it for years with zero issues.

Quick story, I had been using the Repashy Calcium Plus as usual for all 3 of my guys, and when I ran to Petco to pick up another bottle because I was out, they didn't have any in stock. So I grabbed a bottle of Herpavite multivitamin instead, and I already had a jar of RepCal calcium at home not being used. So when I got home I dusted their BSFL in both the RepCal and the Herpavite, and not one of the 3 would touch their worms, and I swear I'm not lying, my 520 gram female actually frantically grabbed the first one because she was hungry, and she SPIT IT OUT! NO JOKE! This continued the next day, they each ate a couple of worms but that was it, instead they ate veggies...so I let this go on for about a week, then I thought "Well, we'll see" and I ran an hour away to the next closest Petco and bought another bottle of the Repashy Calcium Plus. I got it home, dusted their worms, and 2 of them went right at them and were inhaling them, but the youngest one was like afraid to eat one because I guess he thought they still had the Herpavite and the RepCal on them, lol, I had to force-feed him 2 of them before he started eating them on his own...

So that's my best advice, honestly this happens quite often, I don't know why (little divas that they are), and the solution is usually trying different brands until you find one they like.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

They can be very picky about their foods & supplements & can definitely tell the differences
between the brands.
I agree, try the other brand to see if he likes it more. He does need to eat! LOL It does sound
like just wants what he wants. A lot of them go through these types of phases. Good luck, I am
sure you will eventually find one he likes.

Tracie
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
EllenD":r80vsi9x said:
This happens sometimes, especially if you switch brands of calcium or multivitamin supplements. However, at 7-8 months old he still needs a ton of live insect protein every single day, so withholding live insects from him is not a good idea at all, you don't want him to end up being stunted in growth due to not enough live insect protein. He still has a good 5-6 months of really serious growing to do, so I don't at all advise withholding live insects from him at all. I'd keep trying to feed him the dusted ones, but if he refuses them but will eat them undusted then you'll just have to feed him them that way, because he needs the protein/food.

<< I agree , he needs two meals of live insects per day at 7-8 months old.

So you say that you were using Flukers brand of calcium and he was fine with that, then you changed to RepCal and that's when he stopped eating the dusted bugs? Have you tried going back to the Flukers calcium? And how about his Multivitamin powder?
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Did your boy eat today? I hope so! Let us know how things are coming along with
the supplementation too. That will be interesting what he ends up preferring.

Tracie
 

karlys

Member
Original Poster
Hello,

I gave him non dusted ones for breakfast, which he happily ate, and then offered dusted ones for his second meal. He was totally not interested. I left them in there for a couple hours before switching them out for plain ones again and he attacked those immediately. I couldn't get the Repashy at the Petco closest to my house but I'll try the next closest one tomorrow before I resort to just ordering it online.

He sure is being the little stinker lol
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
karlys":1dutposn said:
Hello,

I gave him non dusted ones for breakfast, which he happily ate, and then offered dusted ones for his second meal. He was totally not interested. I left them in there for a couple hours before switching them out for plain ones again and he attacked those immediately. I couldn't get the Repashy at the Petco closest to my house but I'll try the next closest one tomorrow before I resort to just ordering it online.

He sure is being the little stinker lol

If he's refusing the dusting insects. Might be an idea to get hold of some VetaFarm Calcivet or similar , weigh him and give him the liquid calcium via a syringe each day.
This stuff is dosed by the body weight of the lizard , and taking this track will ensure he gets his oral calcium requirements every day.
 
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