In this post, we will discuss the best supplements to get for your leopard gecko and why they are important. We will also talk about how often to supplement leopard gecko’s food and the best ways to do it. To supplement leopard gecko’s food, you will have to gut-load the insects first. Read our full post on gut-loading different insects here.
Vitamin and mineral supplementation plays a big role in leopard gecko’s well being and health. Some minerals and vitamins are more important than others, and we will discuss it in a minute.
What vitamins and minerals does my leopard gecko need?
The most important mineral for a leopard gecko is calcium. 
Calcium supplements often come with a vitamin D3. This is because you need vitamin D3 to absorb calcium. Calcium is very important for your leopard gecko because it helps build strong bones, form eggshells, control muscle activity and send nerve impulses.
Because most insects that your leopard gecko eats are very low in calcium, you need to supplement and gut-load them.
If your leopard gecko doesn’t consume enough calcium, its body will start drawing calcium from the bones, leading to a Metabolic Bone Disease. MBD will cause soft bones and hanging jaw, and some changes can be irreversible.
Your leopard gecko will benefit from multivitamins/mineral complex and amino acid supplements, too. That is because some vitamins are fat-soluble, and others are water-soluble.
Fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin D3, can be stored in leopard gecko’s body. But water-soluble vitamins (for example vitamin C) can’t be stored in leopard gecko’s body, so they need to get them with food.
What are the best calcium supplements for a leopard gecko?
As we have discussed, it is the best practice to supplement leopard gecko’s food with only calcium, then calcium + vitamin D3 and multivitamins on different days. This will help avoid vitamin or mineral buildup or over supplementation.
When buying vitamin D3 supplements, make sure to remember that only D3 will be utilized by your leopard gecko. Never buy plant based vitamin D2, as it won’t have any use to the gecko.
Some of the best calcium/vitamin D3 supplements for a leopard gecko are:
- Zoo-Med calcium powder in a form of calcium carbonate. Without vitamin D3.
Please remember that some supplement brands have a very high vitamin D3 levels in them, which will lead to oversupplementation. Make sure that the supplement with vitamin D3 doesn’t contain more than 45,000-50,000 IU/kg of vitamin D3. Only use a pinch of supplement to dust the feeder insects!
What are the best multivitamin supplements for a leopard gecko?
Calcium to Phosphorus ratio is very important!
When buying multivitamin complex, make sure to choose one that has a beta-carotene instead of vitamin A. It is very easy to overdose with vitamin A (fat-soluble). Beta-carotene is an inactive form of vitamin A, and will be used by your leopard gecko when needed.
Another factor to look for when buying a multivitamin for your leopard gecko is to note a calcium : phosphorus ratio. A calcium : phosphorus ratio in leopard gecko’s vitamins and food should be 2:1, or 2.5:1. Too much phosphorus will bind the calcium and it won’t be absorbed by your leopard gecko. Ca:P ratio is crucial. 
Multivitamin supplements that have amino acids will have good benefits on body cells and functions.
One of the best multivitamin supplements for a leopard gecko are:
- Rep-Cal multivitamins – including minerals and amino acids. It also has a balanced Ca:P ratio.
How to supplement leopard gecko’s food?
You need to supplement leopard gecko’s food in two ways: by gut-loading feeder insects, and by coating them with minerals and vitamins. Please be careful with supplementation frequencies as you can overdose with vitamins and minerals.
Few tips for supplementing food:
Don’t add supplement powder in the water. Most pet lizards don’t drink much water in a day and it will be wasted + your lizard won’t consume it. What is more, adding vitamins to the water will make it taste strange.
To coat the insects, use a high sided dish and keep adding pinches of powder until all insects are lightly coated. You can also use a cricket shaker like this, to coat feeder insects with calcium or multivitamins. It has a tube for easy insect catching and dumping.
It is not a good idea to add mineral or vitamin powder on vegetables for feeder insects. That’s because powder will clump and might wash off.
What is the gut-loading of insects and why do you need to powder the insects with supplements?
How often to supplement leopard gecko’s food?
Please note that dusting the food should be coupled with gut-loading of insects.- Supplement hatchling and baby leopard gecko’s (0-4 months old) food with pure calcium 3 times a week. Dust with calcium + vitamin D3 3 times a week. And then, dust with multivitamins once a week.
- For juvenile leopard geckos (5-18 months) or gravid leopard geckos, supplement with pure calcium once a week. Dust with calcium + vitamin D3 2 times a week. And then, dust with multivitamins once a week. One day a week, don’t dust, only gut-load. This is provided you will feed your leopard gecko 5 times in a week (one feeding without supplementation).
- For adult leopard geckos (18 months+), feed your leopard gecko 2-3 times a week. One day a week, gut-load+ dust with pure calcium, other day with calcium + vitamin D3. Once a month, supplement with multivitamins.
How much supplement should I give feeder insects or use for dusting?