Hi Jupiter! Just a little more info for you:
Bed-a-beast type manufacturers (or so I've heard) claim that their substrate
is "bio-degradeable" or maybe "digestible." If you are seeing it in the
excreta, it is neither. Well, it might be bio-degradeable but not within
the time it spends in the animal's G/I tract.
de Vosjoli is the one who says this in "The Leopard Gecko Manual." He
recommends not using this type of substrate. Another person on this list
says he is using large pebble gravel. de Vosjoli recommends in his book
using very fine sand or newsprint. It's also disrecommended to use sand
with sub-adult leopard geckos because of an increased risk of impaction,
probably because their g/i is smaller (thinner) than adults. de Vosjoli
recommends a very fine sand with a calcium carbonate content.
>From: "jupiter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Re: [Gecko] Is Bed-A-Beast bad?
>Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 21:13:47 -0500
>
>Actually, the "sand" I was refering to is purely calcium carbonate,
>magnesium carbonate, aluminum oxide, and a little salt (sodium chloride) -
>plus some trace strontium oxide. It is produced artificially and is used as
>a substrate in saltwater aquariums. Now if I'm not mistaken, stomach acid
>is
>hydrochloric acid, even in reptiles (I majored in biology but never studied
>herpetology). In that case I would assume the acid would neutralize some of
>the "sand" since it really is nothing more than calcium. I don't know. In
>any case, even if the sand was constantly being eaten and neutralized in
>the
>gut, the constant antacid action can't be beneficial.
>
>Thanks for the help anyway. I'm sticking with bed-a-beast for now. I find
>it
>in their waste but it looks to be okay. I'll see what the vet has to say
>when I go in for my spider gecko.
>
>Jupiter
>
>Come and see my Reef:
>http://members.home.net/jupiter.from.space/
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Catriona Lindsay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Sent: Sunday, February 11, 2001 3:12 AM
>Subject: Re: [Gecko] Is Bed-A-Beast bad?
>
>
> > >eating a lot
> > >more of the sand in the process, although it SHOULD be digestable.
> > Actually the sand is not digestible. We have seen quite a few animals
>with
> > sand blockages when kept on Calcisand. I know the label says it is
> > digestible, but it contains diatomaceous earth.
>
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