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 #2090945


Lone Wolf
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 Just a few questions on Mice Bones and UV :-)

Just something I thought I would ask. With feeding a Sav mice, you don’t have to use a UV light because of the bones in the mice. Why is that? I’m guessing it’s the calcium in the bones right? Just wondering because like with a Juvenile Beardie they get their food dusted with 100% pure calcium every day. And a beardie needs the UV to metabolize the D3 that they get as well, right? So, what is the difference that a Beardie gets 100% pure calcium every day but yet a UV light is still essential, whereas a Sav gets the Bones from the mice and they don’t need UV. I’m just having trouble seeing why one animal needs UV with his Calcium and one doesn’t. I’m guessing there is something more in the bones than just Calcium.? What is it that allows them to get away without UV unlike other Reptiles?

And one other question, How much of a difference does using an MVB make? Or, what difference does it make, or is there no difference? Thanks. :-)

Cody
11/02/09  07:28am

 #2090998


Mxracer
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   Message To: Lone Wolf   In reference to Message Id: 2090945


 Just a few questions on Mice Bones and UV :-)

Not quite true. It can depend on the lizard. I feed my tegu primarly mice, but other’s say I should still provide uv lights.
11/02/09  11:19am

 #2091003


Lone Wolf
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   Message To: Mxracer   In reference to Message Id: 2090998


 Just a few questions on Mice Bones and UV :-)

That’s what I’m confused about. Beardies get calcium every day but a UV light is absolute must for them, without it they will get MBD. So, I would imagine there has to be something in the mice bones.? I’m dumbfounded as to what though.? :-)

Cody
11/02/09  11:32am

 #2091007


Varanus_odom
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   Message To: Lone Wolf   In reference to Message Id: 2091003


 Just a few questions on Mice Bones and UV :-)

It doesn’t matter how much calcium you give them if they can’t properly digest the calcium. Vitamin D3 is what allows them to digest the calcium properly.

Vitamin D3 can come naturally from the suns rays or UVB.

Or you can supplement it with a product like ReptiCal (phosphorous free). Hope that helps you.

: )-



11/02/09  11:44am

 #2091009


Varanus_odom
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   Message To: Lone Wolf   In reference to Message Id: 2090945


 Just a few questions on Mice Bones and UV :-)

I should add that Vitamin D3 is found in mice as well.



11/02/09  11:46am

 #2091091


Krusty
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   Message To: Varanus_odom   In reference to Message Id: 2091009


 Just a few questions on Mice Bones and UV :-)

A certain amount of Vitamin D3 is absorbed by all lizards provided they are kept warm enough to digest foods and fed the correct diet - amounts and ratios of minerals being the topic here. Beardies eat mainly crickets/insects and vegetables, and are not usually fed vertebrates (mice). Insects fed on commercial diets have very low amounts of Calcium and a horrific ratio vs Phosphorus (which competes with Calcium for binding in biochemistry to keep it simple). So you really must dust insects with Ca++ often along with some D3 less frequently.

If a lizard like a Monitor is fed mainly on vertebrates (mice, chicks, fish for example) as WHOLE PREY - not just strips of meat, but the skeleton and organs and head and all, they are getting a better ratio and amount of Calcium to Phosphorus plus getting D3 via the food items. Seeing as monitors get mostly vertebrates, some people "get away with" not providing UVB lighting provided the heat and diet are met otherwise. Beardies need that extra solar conversion to up the D3 (UVB converts pre-D3 into it’s active form along with some organs in the body finishing the sterol to it’s "active usable" form and active D3 moves Calcium and Phosphorus out of the digestive tract into the blood to be used by bones and other processes in the body). Dragons are eating insects and vegetables mainly. I would hypothesize (haven’t tried nor will) that if you fed dragons enough vertebrate prey (small things like lizards perhaps) and supplements, that they may do ok without the lighting to some degree. But feeding a rapidly growing baby Dragon crickets, greens and carrots without supplements or without the UV lighting will quickly get you a hypocalcemic sick lizard. Same thing with small insectivorous monitors, although they seem a bit more resistant to MBD than some other species in captivity.
11/02/09  02:50pm

 #2091094


Mxracer
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   Message To: Varanus_odom   In reference to Message Id: 2091009


 Just a few questions on Mice Bones and UV :-)

I wouldnt say uv is a must for beardies. I kept beardies for a few years and I never used a uvb light. And they didn’t get MBD. I think a lizard is more likly to get MBD due to bad diets and bad husbandry.
11/02/09  02:51pm


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