# Nutrobal.



## Sofie (Feb 6, 2011)

Covers both calcium supplement and multivitamin yes?

Haha. Someone's trying to tell me otherwise. Nutrobal is the only powder you need for Bearded Dragons?

They're actually making me doubt myself.

Of course the powder in co-operation with the 10.0 UVB light.


(AH wrong thread - Needs to be moved to Lizards )


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## RedGex (Dec 29, 2007)

No, unfortunately not, nutrabal is a multi vitamin and d3 supplement, not calcium. the d3 is used by the animal to process calcium, but can easily be overdosed. the usual rule of thumb is to dust with pure calcium 5 times per wk and with nutrabal twice per wk.

If you only dust with nutrabal, you need to change this rapidly, as not only will the animal be getting a multivit overdose but won't be getting all of its calcium requirements so there is a very real risk of MBD.


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## trogdorable (Feb 4, 2011)

i have a tub of nutribol and it says it has calcium in it?
although i would still supplement live foods with calcium


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## Sofie (Feb 6, 2011)

Jesus christ.

Every pet shop I've ever been to says I only ever need to use Nutrobal..

._.

"a calcium balancer & multivitamin supplement to help bone growth in lizards"

Extremely confused now.


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## beckih1979 (Nov 15, 2010)

For our Beardie we normally use calcium 5 days a week and nutrobol 2 times. To make it easier so we don't forget it calcium on weekdays and nutrobol at the weekend.

Hope this helps


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## Sofie (Feb 6, 2011)

What calcium dust do you use?

No idea how my 5yo Beardie has got this far without?? She's perfectly healthy.


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## beckih1979 (Nov 15, 2010)

I don't think it matters too much which brand you use. Our local pet shop stocks the komodo calcium or you could look on ebay you can get it quite a bit cheaper on there. (try searching Limestone Flour) or look on the classifieds on here.


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## Sofie (Feb 6, 2011)

Man..

Just been told this too


"Hi Sofie

We use nutrobal on everything we feed. You can if you want to add some extra calcium to it but nutrobal is fine on its own."

From a huge trusted reptile store.

What is the truth!!


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## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

the petshop is wrong ( they often are ) the truth is you need calcium too, redgex keeps and breeds beardies so i`d listen to her if i was you.


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## beckih1979 (Nov 15, 2010)

Its really up to you what you decide but I would go with what you have been told on here.


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## Sofie (Feb 6, 2011)

:S..

I went to the vet today for a check up for my adult female and questioned the controversy.

She said nutrobal covers what they need, and pure calcium dust as well sometimes over does it :/ Calcium dust is only really needed when they have low calcium.

She had a blood check done etc - Perfect D;

Might go with the specialist on this one?


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## donia (Apr 15, 2009)

Everyone says something a little different, and I got well confused when I started out! My Nutrobal packet says it contains calcium. After reading hundreds of posts on this site, I found someone (can't remember who now, but thanks for the idea!!) who mentioned they mix a 5:2 ratio of calcium:nutrobal and use this at every feed. Works for me, and ensures my beasts are getting some D3 and calcium each day.


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## Chrisuk33 (Oct 10, 2010)

well my leo doesnt touch the bowel of calcium i leave for her so i end up feeding her dusted live crickets a few times a week, the other times its meal worms but they dont dust to well and stay alive, and my gecko likes its meals alive


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## ch4dg (Jul 24, 2008)

beckih1979 said:


> For our Beardie we normally use calcium 5 days a week and nutrobol 2 times. To make it easier so we don't forget it calcium on weekdays and nutrobol at the weekend.


same here



Sofie said:


> What calcium dust do you use?


i dont bother with branded products.......just pure lime stone or lime flour


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## Sofie (Feb 6, 2011)

Fantastic. I'm going to do the ratio'd mix


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## MaMExotics (Dec 4, 2010)

5 days calcium, 2 days nutrobal thats what ive been told : victory:: victory:


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## beardys (Sep 28, 2009)

RedGex said:


> No, unfortunately not, nutrabal is a multi vitamin and d3 supplement, not calcium. the d3 is used by the animal to process calcium, but can easily be overdosed. the usual rule of thumb is to dust with pure calcium 5 times per wk and with nutrabal twice per wk.
> 
> If you only dust with nutrabal, you need to change this rapidly, as not only will the animal be getting a multivit overdose but won't be getting all of its calcium requirements so there is a very real risk of MBD.


unless you use a uv tube with added d3. like the Arcadia12% then no need for the Nutrobal just the calci dust


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## beardys (Sep 28, 2009)

here you go just done this for you lol










nurobal 2x a week and calci dust 4-5 times a week if you using a uv tube like a repti glo 10%. however if you are using an arcadia 12% then you dont have to use the nutrobal because the arcadia has d3 in it.

that is a 100% right way of doing it so dont listen to any crap shop or vet that tells you different. for beginers the internet can be pretty crap with all different answers. i say to newbees to try and stay away from the internet and try and find a good book or decent shop for advice.


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## RedGex (Dec 29, 2007)

beardys said:


> unless you use a uv tube with added d3. like the Arcadia12% then no need for the Nutrobal just the calci dust


this is true, provided you feed a good, varied diet and well gutloaded livefood, because, don't forget nutrobal is also a multivitamin, not just d3. It will never harm to give it in small quantities, it just makes sure they get everything they need.


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## Sofie (Feb 6, 2011)

beardys said:


> that is a 100% right way of doing it so dont listen to any crap shop or vet that tells you different. for beginers the internet can be pretty crap with all different answers. i say to newbees to try and stay away from the internet and try and find a good book or decent shop for advice.


Not any crap shop D: Had it said from about 5 different shops all over the country and well you would've thought the vet would know?

Christ, been keeping them for 9 years so I'm not exactly a newbee and I only get told this now. You can imagine why I'm f'ing confused and fustrated.


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## leecb0 (Apr 14, 2009)

Nurtrabol is a Ballencer which helps the animale correct the levels of calcium that it digests, this means you should use something like calcium carbonate or the calcium dusts that are sold. The diet of the bearded dragon should always be a balance and sometimes people feed too much phosphorus and the nutrablol also helps to some degree in balancing this. Personally i would feed as the others have said in a 5 days calcium and 2 days nutrabol mix or something like that. My personal favourite is calcium carbonate its cheap and if you buy the pharmacutical grade is easily absorbed and the best suppliment for your bearded


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## beardys (Sep 28, 2009)

Sofie said:


> Not any crap shop D: Had it said from about 5 different shops all over the country and well you would've thought the vet would know?
> 
> Christ, been keeping them for 9 years so I'm not exactly a newbee and I only get told this now. You can imagine why I'm f'ing confused and fustrated.


yeah depends what shops and also vets. reps are a specialised subjects so any dog cat or so vet may not know. reps are on the increase now and so wouldnt be surprised if all kind of vets start trying to give advice ( the cat and dog ones i mean). this is now happening around my way because all the vets are doing free reptile checks, and i think to cash in on the reptile market. they may have only just began to study reptiles and not know that much.


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## leecb0 (Apr 14, 2009)

I will agree with the above post, remember shops are retailers they have to make aliving by selling stock. nutrobol is a comodity it needs to sell, it isnt going to halm your animal, so the more you buy the more they sell fact of life. where as if you shop around you can get a bag of calcium carbonate for a pound which will last you the year at least. And as for vets, very few have any real herd knowledge of reptiles and i have seen many give a dignosis to make it look like you have done the right thing, these diagnosis are usually something very benign so as they dont need to prescribe anything that may halm the animal, the best vets to go to if its possible are vets that deal with exotics in zoo's.


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

I thought we'd put this argument to bed ages ago, but welcome back to the "5+2" brigade!

The reason the vet and most pet shops tell you that nutrobal is all you need is because it's true! It was designed to provide calcium WITH the correct ratio of other supplements that your reptile needs. The only other thing needed is UV.

If you follow the instructions on the tub, you will not overdose on anything, either. The amounts of the supplements required are very small (including calcium), but they need to be administered regularly. The 5+2 rule won't do any great harm, but you are only providing the non-calcium supplements twice a week, so it's not the best way of doing things. If you want to follow this mantra, go ahead, but it's overly complicated and not the best regime you could use.

As usual, I will expect the torrent of replies from the 5+2 believers, but I've been through this so many times now, I can't be bothered to start arguing again over it.


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## leecb0 (Apr 14, 2009)

Right it has been scientifically proven that using a raw calcium carbonate with a UV tube is a far more proficiant way for an animal to produce VitD3. 
FACT
Scientists study's have shown minimal dietry suplimentation is needed for insectovorus lizards and useing a well balanced diet produces a well balanced healthy animal, and they sugest using more natural suplimentation such as pure calcium over designer multi supliments, which may over load the animals d3 synthesis and possibly cause calcification if the animal can not rid the body of the excess.
Bloody scientists......think they know everything:lol2:

nutrobol has no guidelines on how much to use and even sugests using lower percentage UV so the animal does not produce as much of its own D3. Nutrabol is a balancer for animals with an inadiquate diet. 

Therefore if you feed your bearded dragon a good selection of veg and calcium dusted crickets there should be no need for suppliments as the diet should be adiquate for normal health and production of vitamin D3 in conjunction with a good working UV tube.

P.S. I AM NOT A 5X2 PERSON


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

What would "bloody scientists" know? Many years of study is, after all, no substitute for reading a few magazines and forum posts!

I'm not going to bite... already had this argument!:no1:


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