dont have time to read this whole thread as im at work, so if someone else mentioned it, i appologise.
but this roumor has some serious substance to it, both i, and plenty of other keepers professional and hobby alike use a product by T-rex called "hydro life", which is an advanced electrolite complex in liquid form (as is poweraid) and pretty much brings lizards and snakes back from the brink of death! after just 3-10 days on this stuff i find them hyperactive and begging to be fed real food! i believe there is a similar product called "leapin lizards"
infact i use a few t-rex formulas on my lizards weekly, and some every other day even! i use solar drops (liquid D3, which is what the animals get from sunlight/UVB), boneaid- which is a liquid intensifyed calcium (used in conjunction with the solar drops), and every two or three feeds for the pythons illactually inject a thawed rat in the stomache with a weak mixture of all three!