How Much Calcium, Vit. D, etc.?- Actual Guidelines!

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Madkins007

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Dosages and Information Chart for calories, calcium, vitamin D and more.

WTgr (lb) | SCLcm (in) | Cals | Ca dose,mg | Vit D dose, IU

50 (2oz) | 6.4 (2.5”)* | 6 | 10.8 - 19 | 10 - 100
100 (4oz) | 8 (3.2”)* | 12 | 21.6 - 36 | 20 - 200
250 (8oz) | 11 (4.3”) | 20 | 36 - 60 | 50 – 5,000
500 (1lb) | 13.8 (5.4”) | 32 | 57.6 – 96 | 100 - 1,000
750 (1.5lb) | 15.8 (6.2”) | 48 | 86.4 – 144 | 150 – 1,500
1,000 (2lb) | 17.4 (6.9”) | 64 |115.2 – 192 | 200 – 2,000
2,500 (5lb) | 23.6 (9.3”) | 107 | 192.6 – 321 | 500 – 5,000
5,000 (11lb) | 29.7 (11.7”) | 214 | 385.2 – 642 | 1,000 – 10k
7,500 (16.5) | 34 (13.4”) | 290 | 522 - 870 | 1,500 – 15k
10,000 (22) | 37.4 (14.7”) | 360 | 648 – 1080 | 2,000 – 20k
50,000 (110) | 64 (25”) | 1200 | 2,165 - 3600 | 10k - 100k

WT- Tortoise’s weight in grams and (ounces or pounds).

SCL- The minimum recommended Straight-line Carapace Length for the weight, according to Dr. Susan Donohue’s formula of SCLcm^3 x 0.191 = mWTgr, presented in centimeters and (inches). [Pingleton]

*= Note- The SCL formula is not considered as accurate for very young tortoises.

Cals- Recommended daily calories for active reptiles, per the formula WTkg^0.75 x 32 (x2 for active tortoises) [Mader]

Ca- Daily recommended calcium dosage range based on the formula 1.8 to 3mg/kcal [Mader]

Vit D dosage range, based on 200-2000IU/kg/day [Mader]

To calculate other nutrients [Mader]:
- Phosphorous levels- for a Ca: P of 2:1, aim for ½ of the calcium level.
- Vitamins A and E- use the vitamin D dose as a base. Multiply by 10 for the A dosage, and divide by 10 for the E dosage to make a ratio of A/D/E of about 100:10:1
- Fat to Proteins to Carbohydrates levels- % of calories-
---- For herbivores (grassland and desert species): 5% fat – 20% proteins – 75% carbohydrates
---- For omnivores (forest species): 25% fat – 25% protein – 50% carbohydrates
---- 1 gram of fat is 9 calories, 1 gram of protein is 4 calories, and 1 gram of carbs is 4 calories.
---- 100 calories for a herbivore should be about 1/2g of fat, 5g of protein, and 19g of carbs.
---- 100 calories for an omnivore should be about 2.5g of fat, 6g of protein, and 12g of carbs.



[Mader, Dr. Douglas. "Reptile Medicine and Surgery"]
[Pingleton, Mike. "The Redfoot Manual"]

.................................................................


This may be my geekiest post yet! I want to clean it up to a full article but I'd like to find a better way to format the chart and make it easier to understand.

So, my questions to you, my faithful friends, are...

1. Does it make sense. If not, what is confusing you?
2. Any ideas on doing a nice chart?
3. Would you like more information, documentation, etc.?
4. What would be a better way to present the amounts of fats, proteins, and carbs in the diet- just adding it to the chart maybe?
5. Would you want the phosphorous, A and E levels added as well? I think it would just make for a messier chart, but I can add them if you want.
 

moswen

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wow, this is awesome, how do i save this post?

i think it's great, but i'm not a chart person so i don't have any imagination in this area...
 

Madkins007

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moswen said:
wow, this is awesome, how do i save this post?

i think it's great, but i'm not a chart person so i don't have any imagination in this area...

What I often do is to highlight the text and copy/paste it to a text or Word document, making sure to note the author, date, and where the article was originally posted.
 

pdrobber

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is this referring to supplements on foods? or injections? or what? specific or preferred products?

if supplements, can someone post what some of these amounts would be in pictures on food for those of us who are a little less precise/scientific/methodical?
 

Madkins007

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Well, you find your tortoise's weight, then see if it is about the right length. If it is lighter than it should be, it is probably dehydrated.

Then you find the calories it needs for the day and how many should be in fats, proteins, and carbs and grab a food chart to see how it compares to what you are feeding. The charts should also show you how much calcium and vitamins are in the foods. If you are short, you add some supplementation to bring it up to snuff. How much of what you need depends on what you use to do it.

The chart is not for everyone since it takes some work to apply- mostly just for us geeks that get paranoid about this sort of thing.

In the next phase, I want to try to come up with some sample meals that meet these guidelines or some sort of 'mix and match' thing. That phase will be the 'easy to follow' thing I am trying to aim for.

By the way, I will email the original "more info than I posted" Word doc to anyone who asks. It even shows how many grams of fat, etc. for each weight group.
 

Neal

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One suggestion - label the dosage amounts. Example: a 50 gram tortoise needs 10.8 - 19 (what?) of Calcium per day, I'm guessing milligrams from the explanation below the chart?

Once I get that cleared up I think I will print this chart out and use it! Thanks.
 

Madkins007

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Neal Butler said:
One suggestion - label the dosage amounts. Example: a 50 gram tortoise needs 10.8 - 19 (what?) of Calcium per day, I'm guessing milligrams from the explanation below the chart?

Once I get that cleared up I think I will print this chart out and use it! Thanks.

Dang- it got lost in the translation. Fixed.
 
J

juliadesusa

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The chart which is given above is good.The calcium,Vitamin D and all other vitamins you have to take in daily routine life.The amount is not that much important but in your daily meal just try to take the all healthy food as you can take so that health become good.Take vegetables,Fruits,Milk,Water daily.
 
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