A very light dusting of vitamin supplements every other day or 2-3x a week is the recommended dosage. Yes, bearded dragons do need Vitamin D as it is essential for the metabolism and absorption of calcium and phosphorus. @Elise, yes I'm pretty sure that's normal I'm no professional and have not had one yet but I just have, My friend is considering adopting a unique pet he could showcase to his guests when they visit. Signs of calcium overdose in bearded dragons includes lethargy, muscle weakness and constipation. Vitamin D supports the immune system, development and maintenance of bones, cardiovascular heath, functioning of nerves and muscles, and reproduction. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could Exploring The Facts About A Popular Pet Reptile. Check your lighting and heating setup against the post on setting up lighting and heating. These symptoms alone arent always a sign of hypercalcemia. Its important to recognize the signs of illness in your pet, such as loss of appetite, lethargy, and any physical changes, and to take your bearded dragon to a veterinarian if you notice any of these signs. In the end, the bearded dragons muscles grow weak, affecting its overall body functioning. Almost 19% of the bearded dragons had musculoskeletal disorders with the most prevalent being osteodystrophy and limb fractures. Journal of Endocrinology: 64-81. As you can see by the image below, it is impossible to know just how much calcium you will end up feeding your bearded dragon. In addition to performing blood tests, the vet may also ask you questions to gather a detailed history of the bearded dragons diet and husbandry. At the late stages of pregnancy, she will refuse food. We use four-dimensional CT scan, which is an advanced CT scan imaging of the neck and parathyroid glands. These four tiny glands are situated in the neck, near the thyroid gland. Dragon tails should not protrude from the hips if they are well-fed, and the base of the tail should be thick. MDText.com. [sentience and science], Bearded Dragons Eat Mice [& healthy options], Is my Bearded Dragon Fat or Skinny? Complications of long-term hypercalcemia are rare since calcium levels are checked in routine blood panels and healthcare providers usually catch hypercalcemia early, but complications can include: If you have a family history of hypercalcemia and/or hyperparathyroidism, talk to your healthcare provider about your risk for developing hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia can cause stomach upset, nausea, vomiting and constipation. Offer Food Daily. (2005). Schmidt-Ukaj S., Hochleithner M., Richter B., Hochleithner C., Brandstetter D., Knotek Z. If your bearded dragon has stopped eating greens or perhaps never started then there are a few tricks you can put in place. Your pet will act lazy and generally exhibit reduced movement and activity in the cage. (Doctoral Dissertation) Oklahoma State University. Alternatively, you can buy a UV meter to the UVB output of the lamp. This condition is more pronounced in baby dragons as need more amount of calcium to build their developing and growing skeleton. Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine,23(4), 369-379. Muscle twitching, general weakness, unusual postures, and deformities may also occur in more severe cases. Symptoms can include: Peeing frequently. In the serum, about 45% of calcium is bound to proteins, 45% exists . Sufficient exposure to UVB light, is necessary. The liver metabolises vitamin D2 into 25-hydroxyvitamin D2, and vitamin D3 into 25-hydroxyvitamin D3. The Pros And Cons Of Scaleless Bearded Dragons: Is It Good Or Bad For Your Pet? But severe hypercalcemia can cause more serious problems, including: Since healthcare provider often discover hypercalcemia in its early stage, most people dont have symptoms. UVB light helps a bearded dragon with vitamin D3 synthesis. Calcium is one of the most important and common minerals in your body. Get useful, helpful and relevant health + wellness information. Signs and symptoms of hypercalcemia range from nonexistent to severe. Calcium is essential for bearded dragons but must only be used in moderation. In most cases, this is due to an overactive parathyroid gland. Hyperkeratosis later affects how your pet eats and breathes. The importance of giving a beardie enough amounts of calcium is well understood among most beardie pet owners. Treatment depends on the cause. Breast cancer. They also need to be fed a balanced diet that is rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as monitored for parasites, such as mites. There are a lot of people who own bearded dragons, and one of the most common causes of death for these beloved pets is impaction. Cusack, L., Rivera, S., Lock, B., Benboe, D., Brothers, D., & Divers, S. (2017). The Reptilian Connection: A Look at Slot Machines Featuring Reptiles and Amphibians, Are Bearded Dragons Eyes Sharp? Symptoms include: Calcium deficiency also leads to nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (aka NSHP, metabolic bone disease). This is a much similar but more severe disorder to that of osteoporosis in humans. Bearded Dragons require a lot of calcium in their diet to stay healthy and strong. Nausea and vomiting. 4. 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44195 |, Important Updates + Notice of Vendor Data Event, (https://www.hormone.org/diseases-and-conditions/hypercalcemia), (https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000365.htm), (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430714/), Visitation, mask requirements and COVID-19 information. Gut loading insects for bearded dragons is another useful method to feed a highly nutritious diet with calcium supplements. In most cases, the excess calcium in your blood was leached from your bones, which weakens them. I always had a passion for lizards, and have dedicated my life to studying them. Normally, if there isn't enough calcium in your blood, your parathyroid glands secrete a hormone that triggers: This delicate balance between too little calcium in your blood and hypercalcemia can be disrupted by a variety of factors. Your First Bearded Dragon Care Information. Be diligent in changing out your UVB lamps as per the manufacturers instructions. Applied Nutritional Studies with Zoological Reptiles. Buying calcium powder both with and without cholecalciferol will provide options for alternate dusting. Below, we will explore more on hypercalcemia in bearded dragons, its causes, signs, and more to help you as the pet owner know how to avoid it or detect it early enough and thus provide your pet with ultimate living conditions. My name is Caroline McKinney, an experienced animals expert and researcher. A swollen beard will be slightly raised above the neck. Divers, S. J., & Mader, D. R. This content does not have an Arabic version. You may find that your dragon isnt moving around as much as it used to and/or climbing around a lot less. Bearded dragons do not need regular visits to the vet as much as other pets such as cats and dogs do. Hormone Health Network. How to Keep Your Iguana Healthy, Happy and Safe! Why do we dust calcium? Kidney cancer. Refer to this post on how much light they need. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 5 yr. ago. The body cannot use calcium unless it has vitamin D3. But if you have a severe case, it can affect different parts of your body. You may need to rearrange parts of their diet so that they arent receiving too much D3. Avoid foods such as spinach, beetroot and rhubarb leaves. Hypercalcemia. Calcium is needed for a bearded dragon to develop properly. The UVB tube length for your bearded dragon house should not cover the entire length of the house. You should also be measuring the amount of calcium in supplements they are getting in addition to foods that contain calcium. (Ed.). Hypercalcemia can lead to weakness, lethargy, vomiting, constipation, and loss of appetite. Accessed Jan. 22, 2020. Maintaining your dragons health and wellbeing is critical, just as it is for any other pet. And that ranges from the simplest primary hyperparathyroidism to the most complex cases. The tighter the mesh, the less UVB it will allow through. The Bearded Dragon is a well-known lizard and currently considered one of the best pet lizards. They may even walk strangely and significantly less. Getting calcium for bearded dragons right is crucial for good health. Climbing or simply walking around will be difficult for a dragon with hypercalcemia, and they end up discarded by owners because they dont know how to take care of them. One, ask your vet who will be able to assess the relevant factors specific to you so they can make a recommendation. Foods dusted with too much calcium will probably be refused. information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with Calcium to phosphorus ratio is crucial to understand in the bearded dragons diet. You dont pay more but it gives me a commission when you buy it through my affiliate link. The best way to ensure that your dragons health remains optimal throughout its lifetime is to combine light, diet, and supplements. The exact content of the bone meal tablets varies with manufacturer. Thank you for the support! Accessed Jan. 22, 2020. Calcium is the most abundant cation found in the human body and plays an integral role in neural transmission, enzyme activity, myocardial function, coagulation and other cellular functions. Overdosing can result in mineralisation of tissues, including the kidneys, which can lead to renal disease. It can be very dangerous and even lead to death if not properly cared for. Although fatal in severe cases, early detection makes it possible to treat hypercalcemia effectively. The best calcium for Bearded Dragons should be a high-quality calcium supplement specifically designed for reptiles. On this site you will find articles that cover everything you need to know about your reptile pet! Just be sure to avoid giving them calcium-rich foods along with that calcium. In: Hand MS, Thatcher CD, Remillard RL, et al, editors. These supplements should contain a balance of calcium and phosphorus, as well as added vitamins and minerals for optimal health. Furthermore, calcium powder is a great supplement that they can add to their diet to ensure they get the calcium they need for strong bones. Water aids in digestion, utilisation of nutrients and elimination of waste products. Environmental factors like UVB lighting and heating, Biological stage of the animal, i.e. Bear in mind that these conditions vary primarily depending on their age. It is more common among captive bearded dragons than hypercalcemia. Approach to hypercalcemia. Decide what foods and times you want to feed your dragon supplements. Overdosing lowers the use of fat, protein and minerals like zinc, iodine, manganese, iron and phosphorus. When hypercalcemia is severe, the vet might recommend medication that will help control calcium levels in the bearded dragon. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Another preventive measure is to avoid calcium supplements with Vitamin D3 if you are already providing your pet with proper UVB conditions. Investigating The Vision Of Pogona Vitticeps, The Pros And Cons Of Using Puppy Pads For Bearded Dragons, Discovering The Sexy Leg In Bearded Dragons: Exploring The Leg Health Of Your Reptilian Pet, One Side Only: Understanding The Lighting & Heating Requirements For Bearded Dragons, Understanding The Complexities Of Keeping Bearded Dragons And Snakes Together, Weighing Your Bearded Dragon: How To Easily And Safely Measure Your Pets Weight. Prognosis, like treatment, depends on the cause and severity of hypercalcemia. If youre experiencing symptoms of hypercalcemia, contact your healthcare provider. Common reproductive conditions of the reptile include prolapse of the cloaca, oviduct or copulatory organ, yolk coelomitis, dystocia or egg binding, as well as follicular stasis. 2019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279129/. You should sprinkle calcium powder lightly over their food every day, and you should keep an eye on their weight and activity level to ensure they get the amount of calcium they need. Here at the Mayo Clinic in Endocrine and Metabolic Surgery, we treat the full spectrum of parathyroid problems. Dragon bones and soft tissues are weakened and the calcium-phosphorous balance is imbalanced due to a calcium-phosphorous imbalance. Second is, provide UVB bulbs in your bearded dragons housing. Calcium overdose (hypercalcemia) can occur with the use of too much calcium and vitamin D3 supplements and over-exposure to UVB light. Make sure to look for a supplement that does not contain added sugar, dyes, or flavors. If your bearded dragon exhibits any of these symptoms, you should seek veterinary care immediately. As a generalisation, the recommendation of numerous veterinarians, researchers and herpetologists, suggest you should give your bearded dragon calcium and vitamin D3 supplement as follows: Shortest answer is yes you should give your bearded dragon D3 (cholecalciferol). To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which What they are are four little glands that regulate the calcium. Treatment and prevention Diagnosis involves looking at the patient's history, clinical signs, radiograph (X-rays), bloodwork, including those that measure blood calcium level, among other tests. In prolonged cases, the beardie might die due to calcium overdose. Too little (hypocalcemia) or too much (hypercalcemia) calcium can cause problems with both the growth and the strength of a bearded dragon's bones. Bearded dragons do not need calcium every day. Be aware that you can overdose on vitamin D3. Most of the calcium is found in the bones as calcium phosphate while a small percentage is found in the cells and extracellular fluids. Watson, M. K., & Mitchell, M. A. Some bearded dragon owners unintentionally give their beardies too much calcium, but others dont realize that they need to provide calcium at all. As the muscles and soft tissues stiffen, there will be a lack of mobility. Therefore even if you must drive a long distance for a proper vet, itll be worth it in the end. Reptile medicine and surgery. Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit organization. Bearded dragons dont poop too often, to begin with, but as their owner, youre likely aware of how often your beardie defecates on a regular basis. Furthermore, the amount of calcium found in a bearded dragons diet is important in its prevention of MBD. Examples include: Contact your doctor if you develop signs and symptoms that might indicate hypercalcemia, such as being extremely thirsty, urinating frequently and having abdominal pain. More-severe cases produce signs and symptoms related to the parts of your body affected by the high calcium levels in your blood. Has he been brumating or trying to brumate right now? Other causes of hypercalcemia include cancer, certain other medical disorders, some medications, and taking too much of calcium and vitamin D supplements. Normally, they work with your kidneys, bones and intestines to carefully regulate the level of blood calcium. Bearded Dragon Accessories and Enriching Life, 7 Tips to get Bearded Dragon to Eat Vegetables [& Refusal]. Hypercalcemia is a condition in which the calcium level in the blood is above normal. Two, follow the recommended dosage provided by the supplement manufacturer. 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