To D3 or Not D3

According to Dr. Julia Whittington, exotics veterinarian at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, reptiles cannot absorb calcium from the diet efficiently without active vitamin D.

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Without the use of natural sunlight or UVB rays, reptiles are unable to convert vitamin D into D3. Therefore, since most leopard gecko keepers either use Under tank heat (UTH), Calcium without Vitamin D3 is simply useless. Even if you are using UVB lighting, it is recommended that Calcium with D3 be used.

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It is argued that too much D3 can be hazardous, however the levels of D3 used in Calcium for reptiles is low enough that this cannot happen.

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I use a mix of Vionate multi vitamin powder to calcium with D3 to a ratio of 4 to 1. I keep this in every cage at all times. I then use only Calcium with D3 to dust my feeder