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1 December 2017 EFFECTS OF A LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE ON THE PRODUCTION OF CHOLECALCIFEROL AND ASSOCIATED BLOOD PARAMETERS IN THE BEARDED DRAGON (POGONA VITTICEPS)
Lara Cusack, Sam Rivera, Brad Lock, Daniel Benboe, David Brothers, Stephen Divers
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Abstract

The importance of vitamin D3 has been documented in multiple reptile species, with deficiencies resulting in alterations in calcium homeostasis, including nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism. Though vitamin D3 can be obtained directly from dietary sources or from photobiosynthetic production, species variability in diet and behavior makes exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation an essential requirement for some diurnal species. The effect of different bulbs to promote synthesis of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) in the bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) was evaluated. Individual animals (n = 5 for each group) were exposed to industry standard fluorescent bulbs (UVB), non–UVB producing bulbs (UVBN), and light-emitting diode (LED) UVB (LED) bulbs for a period of 11 mo. Weekly measurements of UV index (UVI) were recorded for each bulb. Plasma vitamin D3, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3), ionized calcium (iCa), total calcium (TCa), and phosphorus (P) were measured at time zero and at 4 mo, 8 mo, and 11 mo. Parameters were measured between groups and time points. There were decreases (P < 0.05) with time for iCa for the LED and UVB groups, for TCa in the UVB group, and for vitamin D3 in the LED and UVBN groups. There were no significant differences between study groups for vitamin D3, iCa, TCa, or P. Overall plasma concentration for 25OHD3 in the LED group was greater than for the UVB (P = 0.0347) and the UVBN (P = 0.0490) groups.

Copyright 2017 by American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
Lara Cusack, Sam Rivera, Brad Lock, Daniel Benboe, David Brothers, and Stephen Divers "EFFECTS OF A LIGHT-EMITTING DIODE ON THE PRODUCTION OF CHOLECALCIFEROL AND ASSOCIATED BLOOD PARAMETERS IN THE BEARDED DRAGON (POGONA VITTICEPS)," Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 48(4), 1120-1126, (1 December 2017). https://doi.org/10.1638/2016-0222.1
Accepted: 1 July 2017; Published: 1 December 2017
KEYWORDS
bearded dragon
LED
Metabolic bone disease
Pogona vitticeps
UVB
vitamin D3
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