Message:

Subject: Re: calcium
Posted by Cynthia on December 16, 1998 at 01:16:52:

In Reply to: calcium posted by Ronda on December 15, 1998 at 13:05:52:

: Everyone talks about feeding calcium, but nobody says how much. There are 2 kinds of Rep-cal a blue label and a red label, which one to use? The bird preen, how much, Do gliders need lights to help them process the D3 like reptiles do? Thanks for any help.

Giving calcium as a supplement is guess work at best. Not enough can cause hindleg paralysis, too much can be fatal. I can tell you which signs and symptoms to watch for hypercalcemia-too much calcium. Watch for increased heart rate, where the glider actually has palpations to the point that if it were holding onto the side of the cage you could see the cage shake. You would also want to watch for seizure. Should you see either of these you should cut back on the amount of calcium. Repcal with D3 is most commonly used but keep in mind that it is made for reptiles and can actually provide too much calcium for gliders. Yes they do use filtered sunlight in the wild to process the D3, but it is filtered through the trees and dappled in the nest by the swaying of the trees and the movement of the leaves outside of the nest. Keep in mind that prolonged exposure to the sun can be fatal to a glider. I do not know about the bird preen, I am not sure what that product is so maybe someone else can help you with that one. I feed my gliders BPP's accu-feed and do not have to guess at their calcium intake, I have been feeding them this food for well over a year now, nearly two, and I have not had a health problem with my gliders and no sign of hindleg paralysis.

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