FInal - ZCA Nutrition Flashcards
Ferret Digestive Tract
short intestinal tract
short GI transit time
Ferret Diet
obligate carnivores
small meals, intervals, hide snacks
unsophisticated gut flora
do not digest fiber
high protein & high fat
avoid treats with high carbs, prefer meat based
Ferrets most commonly eat ____. Why should you avoid other types of food?
Kibble
Kibble + canned meals
whole prey or raw diets not good, incomplete
why should you avoid high sugar/carb diets and treats in ferrets
insulinomas
Rabbit Digestive Tract
hindgut fermenters
long GI transit time
unique Ca2+ metabolism = calcium carbonate crystals
continuously growing teeth - require high fiber and lower nutrient and high intake foods to wear them down
Rabbit Diet
high fiber, low nutrient, poorly digestible diet, high intake
hay (90%) diet, size of body
pellets (size of eye)
greens (size of skull)
avoid fruits/carrots, grains, seeds, carb treats
what type of hay should you feed adult rabbits? young? pregnant/lactating? thin geriatrics?
grass hay for adults
alfalfa for young (<6mo), pregnant/lactating, thin geriatrics
the biggest concern of inappropriate diet in rabbits?
dental malocclusion, obesity, dysbiosis, enteritis, decreased GI motility (stasis)
Guinea Pig diet
similar to rabbits - hindgut fermenters, high fiber, low nutrient, high intake, hay
vitamin C requirement
pellets (GP specific)
vegetables (vit C rich)
water supplementation not reliable
what is the only mammal with a vitamin C requirement? what vegetable can you give to supplement?
guinea pigs
green/red bell peppers
Chinchillas diet
similar to rabbits and guinea pigs but even higher nutrient needs
require small amount of alfalfa throughout life in hay or pellets
avoid fruits, seeds, carbs
rats, mice diet
not hindgut fermenters
more omnivorous
higher protein requirement
rodent block (feed young until 6 mo)
treats can be veggies or fruits
gerbils and hamsters diet
hamsters - foregut fermenters, less protein
gerbils - large cecum/colon, omnivorous, desert animal but still need water
treats can be veggies or fruit
hedgehogs diet
insectivore
chitinase to digest insect exoskeleton
less protein and fat
high fiber
small # insects because can cause impaction
small amount produce because can become lodged in mouth
sugar glider diet
complicated
spring/summer - insects
winter - gum,sap, sugar from trees, sap sucking insects
enlarged cecum, simple SI
what does a sugar gliders captive diet typically look like
insectivore diet ~75%
little nectar
limited fruits/veggies
avoid large sugar/fat
insects as treats
offer food at night bc nocturnal animals
Psittacine ideal diet
majority pellets
20% vegetables with high Ca and vit A
5-10% tropical fruits
5% almonds, nuts, brazil nuts
small amount of seeds
foraging toys
why are seeds not a good food source for psittacines
excess fat
low Ca2+, lysine, vit AEK and aa
poor nutrients
carnivorous reptile diet
prey proportional to predator
pre-killed
separate enclosure
feed every 1-2 weeks
insectivore repltile diet
live insects
worms, crickets, flies
pelleted diet
insects need Ca dust but no vit D3 or P
herbivore reptile diet
majority dark leafy greens + Ca
some other greens/veggies
few fruits
pelleted diets available
what are some differences with tortoises
no squash or carrots
grass hay/high fiber
don’t require fruit
omnivore reptile diet
mix of veggies + protein (meat or insects)
protein often exceeded
amphibian diet
adults carnivorous, swallow prey whole
not usually fed insects in captivity
1:2 Ca:P ratio
larvae herbivorous
