Proper dusting schedule?

I have for some time now been using the dusting schedule from http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

the information states "

"

So is this, information accurate as I have been informed different. What is the ideal bearded dragon schedule? Is it different for sick or ill dragons then for healthy dragons? How is the schedule impacted by diet? (butterworms/BSF larvae)

Ok, I was always aware of the beautiful dragons schedule but, based on the advice I was given here, I have always followed a schedule like this:

Babies/Juvies - Calcium 5x per week and Vitamins 2x per week
Adult - Calcium 3x per week and Vitamins 1-2x per week
Gravid female - as baby/juvie
Sick beardie - depends on the illness - I have a severely anemic beardie who, when his anemia flares up, needs vitamin supplements 4-5x per week

When feeding, butterworms/BSF larvae, you skip the calcium dusting as these are high in calcium

MissT":10r5daor said:

Ok, I was always aware of the beautiful dragons schedule but, based on the advice I was given here, I have always followed a schedule like this:

Babies/Juvies - Calcium 5x per week and Vitamins 2x per week
Adult - Calcium 3x per week and Vitamins 1-2x per week
Gravid female - as baby/juvie
Sick beardie - depends on the illness - I have a severely anemic beardie who, when his anemia flares up, needs vitamin supplements 4-5x per week

When feeding, butterworms/BSF larvae, you skip the calcium dusting as these are high in calcium

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How can I skip the calcium dosage when it is also my source for D3? Lauraj1055 has said to still use the calcium just to cut down the amount/frequency at which it is used.

i am not trying to sound like I am arguing, so please don't take it that way, just hard to put tone on words when you are typing LOL
My goal with this post is to determine the best dusting chart possible, as I recommend dusting quite frequently. I would rather recommend something everyone agrees with then to recommend something that is going to be contradicted. We can conclude a dusting schedule that fits all scenarios and still be the healthiest and safest route. If MissT is correct then we might want to establish something for use when it comes to butter worms and BSF larvae. Maybe it would be different per each one of those feeders.

Taken from Elliot's Butterworms


Lets come to a consensus and maybe get a sticky for it afterwards. ... maybe lol :wink:

Beardednoob":2amugkrm said:

How can I skip the calcium dosage when it is also my source for D3? Lauraj1055 has said to still use the calcium just to cut down the amount/frequency at which it is used.

Click to expand...

I was thinking of the BSF larvae and butterworms as occasional when I said that... they are not commonly used feeders this side of the pond. Anyway, if your using those as a staple then you would want to cut down the calcium dusting to 2-3 times per week for a baby and 1-2 times per week for an adult (if the urates become hard/peach in colour then you will use the lower option for each - if that makes sense?)

Provided you are using a repti-sun 10 (correctly) then this should be adequate D3.

I fixed the image to display correctly.

So the new chart would look like

up to 1.5 years - calcium 5x per week / vitamins 2x per week
1.5 years + - calcium 3x per week / vitamins 1-2x per week
Gravid female - calcium 5x per week / vitamins 2x per week
sick dragon - ?
up to 1.5 years butterworm/BSF larvae diet - calcium 2-3x per week / vitamins 2x per week
1.5 years + butterworm/BSF larvae diet - calcium 1-2x per week / vitamins 1-2x per week

?

Looks good.... now we just need more opinions lol!

I fully agree with Christina. That is the schedule i've used and the schedule I tell others to use.

-Brandon

claudiusx":35s51gjh said:

I fully agree with Christina. That is the schedule i've used and the schedule I tell others to use.

-Brandon

Click to expand...

Okay so this is accurate so far?
up to 1.5 years - calcium 5x per week / vitamins 2x per week
1.5 years + - calcium 3x per week / vitamins 1-2x per week
Gravid female - calcium 5x per week / vitamins 2x per week
sick dragon - ?
up to 1.5 years butterworm/BSF larvae diet - calcium 2-3x per week / vitamins 2x per week
1.5 years + butterworm/BSF larvae diet - calcium 1-2x per week / vitamins 1-2x per week

we just need to get more opinions and fill in the sick with something. I do know however that each individual case of sick dragons may require different or slightly different schedules. So maybe it should not give any specifics?

Yeah, I don't think specifics for a sick dragon is needed. Because sick can range from URI to MBD with lots of different things in the middle.
Personally I have no clue about the butterworms schedule. I have no experience with butterworms.

But everything above the butterworms I can vouch for.

-Brandon

Something else to add here, do we mix a 1:1 ratio on the days we add in vitamins of calcium and vitamins? (information taken from repcal multivitamins container)
In other words 2x a week when using vitamins, is this on a separate feeding or mixed with the same proportion of calcium, then using the mixture to dust with?

I don't use calcium on the days i use multivitamin.

The week goes. Calcium, calcium, multi, calcium, calcium, calcium, multi. Or something along the lines of that.

If that was what you were asking. Idk couldn't understand really lol.

-Brandon

claudiusx":1fg9orwa said:

I don't use calcium on the days i use multivitamin.

The week goes. Calcium, calcium, multi, calcium, calcium, calcium, multi. Or something along the lines of that.

If that was what you were asking. Idk couldn't understand really lol.

-Brandon

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LOL well that does make sense since I am not reflecting on the beautiful dragons chart. With their chart you would have 7 day with calcium so what would you do. Anyways the container of Repcal multivitamins has a dosage section which says to mix the vitamins with their calcium in a 1:1 ratio (ie: .25 teaspoon vitamins and .25 teaspoon calcium). With the new chart I guess it doesn't pertain.

I do (for adults) Calcium, calcium, calcium, day off, vitamins, vitamins, day off. If that makes sense!

I was told that calcium and vitamins mixed will degrade each other.

MissT":ckdj50ly said:

I was told that calcium and vitamins mixed will degrade each other.

Click to expand...

Same which is why I don't mix.


For my adult I do Calcium, day off, vitamins, calcium, day off, Calcium, day off.

Christina, is there any reason you have it set up that way, or just personal preference?

-Brandon

up to 1.5 years - calcium 5x per week / vitamins 2x per week (one(1) dusted feeding per day)
1.5 years + - calcium 3x per week / vitamins 1-2x per week
Gravid female - calcium 5x per week / vitamins 2x per week (one(1) dusted feeding per day)
sick dragon - Unable to dose, due to variables
up to 1.5 years butterworm/BSF larvae diet - calcium 2-3x per week / vitamins 2x per week
1.5 years + butterworm/BSF larvae diet - calcium 1-2x per week / vitamins 1-2x per week


Now does it matter how the weekly schedule is. Can there be any impact to feeding calcium 5 days then vitamins 2 days (per juvenile/sub-adult) or would it be better to mix up the dusting like

Monday- calcium, Tuesday- vitamins, Wednesday- calcium, Thursday- calcium, Friday- vitamins, Saturday-calcium, Sunday-calcium

LOL we need even weeks, why an odd number JK :wink: