ZOO MED Bug Balance Gut Load, 2 oz (28 g)

Bug Balance GUT-LOAD diet is expertly formulated to address the nutritional imbalances of common feeder insects, ensuring a more balanced and nourishing meal for your reptiles!

Most feeder insects have an imbalanced calcium-to-phosphorus (Ca:P) ratio, meaning they contain more phosphorus than calcium. This imbalance can contribute to metabolic bone disease (MBD), where animals can develop bone deformities, seizures, and tremors. Experts recommend maintaining at least a neutral ratio (1:1), and ideally a positive ratio (2:1) for optimal growth and breeding. However, research shows that standard supplement “dusting” alone is often insufficient to correct this issue. For best results, experts strongly advise feeding insects a high-calcium diet for 1–3 days before dusting and offering them to your reptile.

Bug Balance GUT-LOAD is a low-fat powerhouse of nutrition that contains the veterinary-recommended levels of calcium (>8% DM). It’s crafted from plants like fresh endive and escarole, calcium-rich dandelion greens, yucca, and alfalfa. Plus, it’s fortified with pre-formed Vitamin A (retinol) to ensure a bioavailable source of vitamin A for all insect-eating reptiles, as many cannot utilize provitamin A (beta-carotene).

Elevate your reptiles’ diet with GUT-LOAD! Pair with our new calcium-fortified Cricket Boost Hydrating Jelly and dust insects with ReptiCalcium® or ReptiVite™ as needed. Gut-loading is intended to be used right before feeding the insects to your reptiles (1-3 days). For long-term maintenance of breeding feeder insect colonies, use a low-calcium maintenance diet, such as Cricket Care.