Food supplementation by 'dusting'

There are various ways a Leopard gecko's food can be complemented. This article discusses Leopard gecko supplementation through food dusting.

Esitmated reading time: About 1 min. (287 words) | Be the first to comment | 2 references cited

Table of contents

Introduction to Leopard gecko supplementation

Food supplementation plays a vital part in keeping pet Leopard geckos healthy. Dusting is the process of coating insects, or other foodstuffs, with a powdered supplement prior to being fed. Other ways of supplementing a Leopard gecko’s food include gut-loading and sprinkling.

Leopard gecko supplementation

Leopard geckos have special needs when it comes to calcium and vitamin D supplementation. They will tolerate the absence of ultraviolet lighting (UV) if adequate dietary calcium and vitamin D are provided⁽³²⁾.

Being crepuscular to nocturnal, not a lot of basking takes place, so there is not a lot of opportunities to metabolise vitamin D. Calcium and vitamin D are consumed from adequate amounts in their diets⁽³⁴⁾.

Supplementation through dusting

Dusting can be done on any feeder insect, but it is very popular (and quite simple) to do with live crickets and mealworms. Food is simply mixed with a moderate amount of supplement powder in a spill- or escape-proof plastic bag or container.

Image from Backwater Reptiles Blog

In order to keep it fresh, dusting should be done just prior to feeding the insects or greens to Leopard geckos.

Supplements for dusting

Any powdered form of Leopard gecko supplementation can be used for dusting food. Commercial reptile or Leopard gecko supplements should be used.

Image from Josh’s Frogs

The two main supplements recommended for Leopard geckos are multi-vitamin mixtures and calcium/Vitamin D3 combinations. Calcium supplementation should be done 2 to 3 times a week, and multi-vitamin mixtures should be given every other day.

References

Reference this article

<a href="https://leopardgeckos101.net/leopard-gecko-supplementation-through-food-dusting/" title="Food supplementation by dusting">Delport, Renier (5 January 2019). Food supplementation by dusting. ©2005-2021 Leopard Geckos 101, 5 January 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2021</a>