Nutrition II: Exotics Flashcards
What is an exotic animal?
🐰Anything that isn’t a dog, cat, horse, or production animal! 🐰Huge category with thousands of species
🐰Wildlife and Zoo animals considered separately 🐰Reptiles & amphibians
🐰Birds (excluding poultry/production) 🐰Small mammals
🐰Rabbits 🐰Rodents 🐰Ferrets
🐰Other exotic pets
🐰Fish & Invertebrates
Calculating Metabolic Rate
🧮Basal energy requirement (BER) in kcal/day= K x bodyweight(Kg)0.75
🧮‘K’ value based on the relative metabolic rate of various taxonomic groups
🧮Placental mammals K=70
🧮Birds K = 175
🧮Reptiles K = 10
🧮Consider disease factors also
Nutritional requirements can depend on
✏️Life Stage ✏️Reproductive status ✏️Disease ✏️Environment ✏️Moulting/Shedding ✏️Hibernation/Torpor
Juveniles
✏️ Juveniles often have fundamentally different dietary requirements
✏️ May require more digestible/smaller food items
✏️ Milk requirements/weaning in mammals
✏️ Increasing calorie demands with age/size
✏️ Certain nutrients required in higher amounts for growth
✏️Protein
✏️Calcium
✏️Vitamin D
Senior Animals
👵🏼 Older animals may have different nutritional needs 👵🏼 Dental attrition/disease
👵🏼 Eyesight
👵🏼Mobility
👵🏼Enrichment modifications
Reproductive status
🥚 Entire vs neutered 🥚 Pregnancy 🥚 Lactation 🥚Egg Laying 🥚Breeding Seasons 🥚 Intake usually increases to meet energy/protein requirement 🥚 Protein – embryo growth 🥚 Calcium – skeletal growth 🥚 Vitamin D – skeletal growth 🥚 Vitamin C – Guinea Pigs 🥚 Iron – blood supply
Disease
🦠 Poor nutritional status increases susceptibility to disease
🦠Starvation/Obesity
🦠Disease caused by dietary deficiencies and excess
🦠Protein in disease
🦠Energy for recovery
🦠Refeeding syndrome
Environment
🌏 Temperature 🌏Humidity 🌏Exposure 🌏Social dynamics 🌏Food spoilage
Moulting
🦜Most birds moult annually 🦜Energy demands increased 3-20% when moulting 🦜4-8% increase in protein requirement 🦜Moult supplements? 🦜Increased water demand
Ecdysis
🦎Snakes shed in toto
🦎Lizards and Chelonia shed
🦎May become inappetant during/prior to shed
Seasonal variation
⛅️ Hibernation ⛅️Brumation ⛅️Torpor ⛅️Seasonal variation in natural diet ⛅️Mating/breeding season ⛅️Hunting seasons (raptors)
Rabbit diet
🐰Many diseases attributed to diet 🐰High fibre diet required 🐰Crepuscular 🐰Perform caecotrophy 🐰Renal calcium excretion 🐰Avoid food items high in oxalates 🐰Avoid muesli type diets Anatomy & Physiology
Hindgut fermenters
GIT makes up 10-20% BW Large (monogastric) stomach Large Caecum - Caecotrophy Rapid gut transit time Aradicular hypsodont teeth Peg teeth (double row dentition) Renal Calcium excretion
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🐰Various commercial mono-component diets
🐰Aim to mimic natural diet as closely as possible
✅Ad lib good quality Timothy or meadow hay
✅Rack or net
✅Fresh Leafy Greens
❓ Commercial pelleted diet (not essential)
❓ Any treats should be hay based or herbs
❓ Limit root vegetables & fruit
❌Avoid high fat/high carbohydrate treats
❌Commercial treats, honey sticks, biscuits, bread, peas, seeds, chocolate
Coprophagy
eating faeces
💩Normal behaviour in all rodents and rabbits
💩Neonates and dams often perform coprophagy
💩Can be a sign of pathology
Caecotrophy
eating caecotrophs
Usually eaten directly from anus 💩Function: 💩B vitamins 💩Vitamin K 💩Microbial proteins 💩Volatile fatty acids
Rodents – Myomorphs overview
🐭Mouse-like rodents 🐭Mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils 🐭Well researched dietary requirements 🐭Opportunistic omnivores 🐭Gnawing required to wear teeth 🐭All perform coprophagy Anatomy & Physiology Monogastric Elodont incisors Brachydont cheek teeth Hamsters have cheek pouches Can’t vomit Hamsters hibernate <4oC
Rats and Mice diet
🐀Traditional seed/muesli diets not appropriate
🐀Mono-component diets prevent selective feeding
🐀Ad lib feeding should be avoided
🐀c.10% bodyweight in food daily
✅Commercial pellets
🐀>14% protein for mice 🐀20-27% protein for rats
🐀5% fat
✅Treats should be limited
🐀Fruit, nuts, veg, pasta, commercial treats
🐀Useful for training
🐀Dietary enrichment important
Hamsters & Gerbils diet
🐹Similar diets in captivity 🐹Monocomponent diets prevent selective feeding 🐹Ad lib feeding should be avoided 🐹Eat 8% (Gerbils) -10% (Hamsters) bodyweight in food daily ✅Hay ✅Commercial pellets 🐹> 16% protein for hamsters 🐹>20% protein for gerbils 🐹4-5% fat ✅Limited high protein, low fat treats 🐹Nuts, boiled egg, mealworms, vegetables 🐹NB Hamsters nocturnal 🐹Avoid sticky or coarse foods for hamsters as cheek pouches
Rodents - Hystricomorphs
🐻‘Porcupine like’ rodents 🐻Guinea pigs, chinchillas, degus, agoutis 🐻Herbivorous 🐻Elodont cheek teeth and incisors 🐻Require high fibre content of diet
Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus)
Anatomy & Physiology Hindgut Fermenters Elodont incisors & cheek teeth Lack L-gluconolactone enzyme Large left sided caecum Caecotrophic & Coprophagic 🐹Natural diet grasses, leaves 🐹Fussy eaters 🐹High Fibre diet 🐹Absolute dietary requirement for Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) 🐹10mg/kg 🐹30mg/kg in pregnancy 🐹Commercial diets supplemented with Vitamin C 🐹Unstable vitamin so daily fresh greens 🐹Higher Vitamin A requirement
Chinchillas (Chinchilla laniger)
Anatomy & Physiology
Hindgut Fermenters
Long GIT Caecotrophic & Coprophagic Large Caecum Elodont incisors & cheek teeth High colonic water absorption Nocturnal (but adapt)
🌵Wild diet of high fibre grasses, leaves, roots, twigs, cactus fruit
🌵Nocturnal so eat mainly at night
🌵Longer pellets than other rodents as grasp in
forepaws
🌵15-35% fibre
🌵2-5% fat
🌵16-20% protein
🌵Low water intake 🌵Ad lib Good Quality Hay ✅Overhead rack ✅Grass based chinchilla pellet (1-2 tbsp) ✅Occasional treats ✅Seeds, raisins, dried fruit, grapes, carrots, cactus fruit ✅Salt licks ❌Avoid leafy greens
Degus (Octodon degus)
🐻Wild diet of grass, seeds, fruit, grains
🐻Susceptible to Type 2 Diabetes mellitus
🐻High fibre, low sugar diet
🐻Vitamin C requirement not well defined
✅Ad lib Good Quality Hay
✅Small amount Grass based chinchilla (+/- G. pig) pellet
✅Daily Greens and roots (20% diet)
✅Kale, romaine, dandelion, root vegetables,
broccoli, green beans
Anatomy & Physiology
Similar anatomy to others Elodont incisors & cheek teeth High colonic water absorption Possess L-gluconolactone enzyme
African Pygmy Hedgehogs
🦔Increasingly popular pet 🦔Insectivore/Opportunistic omnivore 🦔Foragers 🦔Nutritional requirements not well defined 🦔Unable to digest cellulose 🦔Obesity and dental disease common 🦔Feed in the evening ✅Commercial hedgehog pellet/biscuit ✅Insectivore diet ✅Invertebrates (variety) ✅Fruits/vegetables Anatomy & Physiology Nocturnal Monogastric No functional caecum Strong olfactory function
Ferrets
🦦 Obligatecarnivore 🦦 Wilddietwholecarcasses 🦦 Highmetabolicrate 🦦 Rapidguttransittime(2.5–3hrs) 🦦 Eat5-7%BW 🦦 Fatmainenergysource>20% 🦦 Protein35-40%(Taurine) 🦦 PoorutilisationofCarbohydrate 🦦 Fibrenotdigestedwell Anatomy & Physiology Dentition adapted for carnivorous diet Monogastric Short gastrointestinal tract Have a gall bladder 🦦 Good quality dry ferret food 🦦 Avoid treats 🦦 Malt paste/ferret oil 🦦 Some owners feed fresh carcass 🦦 Wholecarcass 🦦 Hygiene 🦦 Stashing 🦦 Foodintakeincreases30%in winter
Seed mixes
🥜Selective Feeding 🥜Deficiencies/Excesses 🥜Vitamins A, D, E, K 🥜Poor Ca:P ratio 🥜Inadequate amino acids 🥜Lysine, methionine
🥜High Fat
🥜High Cholesterol
🥜Fungal spores & Spoilage
🥜Do encourage natural behaviours
Toxic food items - birds
☠Avocado (Persin) ☠Chocolate (Theobromine/caffeine) ☠Onion ☠Garlic ☠Alcohol ☠Stone fruit pits/apple seeds (Cyanide) ☠Xylitol ☠Non toxic foods that should be avoided ☠Salt ☠Sugar ☠Dairy
Passerines
🐤Passeriformes >5,000 species 🐤Finches, canaries 🐤Diverse diets 🐤Very high metabolic Rate 🐤Eat 30% BW daily 🐤Plumage colours 🐤Grit 🐤Mono-component pellet 🐤Vegetables Anatomy & Physiology Glandular proventriculus Mechanical ventriculus Varied GIT adaptations Varied beak shapes BMR 60% higher than non passerine birds
Psittacines
🦜Psittaciformes >350 species 🦜Vegetarian with some specialists 🦜Grit 🦜Iodine 🦜Complete formulated diet 🦜Vegetables/Fruit 🦜Avoid human foods 🦜Eat 10% BW daily 🦜Enrichment essential
Waterfowl
🦆Anseriformes 🦆Herbivores, Piscivores 🦆Commercial duck pellets 🦆14-17% Protein (25-40% for piscivores) 🦆3-6% fat (5-10% for piscivores) 🦆Floating pellets? 🦆Protein increased to 16-21% in breeding season 🦆Increase fat by adding corn 🦆Require grit 🦆Greens/Fresh grass grazing 🦆Care re. excess protein/energy in growing juveniles Anatomy & Physiology Glandular proventriculus Mechanical ventriculus
Raptors
🦅 Whole Carcass prey
🦅Consider size of prey offered
🦅Break long bones of prey
🦅Avoid monotypic diets
🦅Captive bred prey should be fed
🦅Disease, secondary toxicity risks
🦅Calcium supplementation for offal/clean meat
🦅 Thiamine (B1) & Vitamin E supplementation
🦅Casting material
🦅Tightly regulated diet for flying/hunting birds
🦅Don’t treat all raptors the same
Anatomy & Physiology
Sharp bill for prehension Glandular proventriculus
Small sac like ventriculus Diurnal raptors have crops Cast fur, feathers, (+/- skeletal elements)
Variable short paired caeca
Pigeons and Doves
🐦 Columbiformes 🐦Granivorous 🐦Frugivorous 🐦Squabs need tube feeding 🐦20-50ml/kg water/day ✅Commercial pigeon pellets ✅Supplement with greens, broccoli ✅Grit requirement eg oyster shell Anatomy & Physiology Glandular proventriculus Mechanical ventriculus Large distensible crop Produce crop milk
Reptiles
🐊 Snakes, Lizards, Chelonians (Crocodilians) 🐊Much anecdotal nutrition 🐊Inadequate nutrition commonplace 🐊Variable gut transit time 🐊Effect of environment 🐊Standard metabolic rate (cf. BMR) 🐊Obesity and fatty liver syndrome 🐊Discussed in trophic groups rather than taxonomic groups 🐊Variable feeding intervals 🐊Pica
Carnivorous Reptiles
🐍 Vertebrate prey 🐍Most snakes eat whole vertebrate prey 🐍Some fish eaters 🐍Feeding live prey Anatomy & Physiology Ectothermic Complex dentition Snakes have quadrate bone Many species hibernate
Insectivorous Reptiles
🦎Majority of lizards are insectivorous 🦎Invertebrate eaters 🦎Feeding live invertebrate prey 🦎Gut loading Anatomy & Physiology Ectothermic Variable dentition Fleshy prehensile tongues Specialist tongues Many species brumate
Omnivorous Reptiles
🐢 Many lizards and some chelonia 🐢Some species omnivorous from birth 🐢Some species switch trophic group Anatomy & Physiology More simple dentition Beaks/Peg teeth More extensive large intestine
Herbivorous Reptiles
🐢 High in cellulose, Calcium and vitamin A
🐢Low in sugar, fat, vitamin D and oxalates
🐢Ca:P ratio >2:1
🐢Goitrogens
🐢Variable Fibre requirement
Anatomy & Physiology
More simple dentition Beaks/Peg teeth Large proximal colon
Amphibians
🐸Anurans 🐸Frogs, Toads 🐸Invertebrate/Vertebrate prey as adults 🐸Tadpoles eat vegetation 🐸Vitamin C 🐸NB Cannibalism 🐸Caudata 🐸Salamanders, Axolotls 🐸Carnivorous 🐸Supervised feeding Anatomy & Physiology Short simple GIT Mouth widens during metamorphosis Variable dentition
Gut Loading
🦗Invertebrates should be gut loaded with high Calcium diet 🦗48 hours prior to feeding 🦗Dark leafy greens 🦗Commercial bug foods 🦗Ad Lib water source
What is fed vs what is eaten
🦗There is often a difference! 🦗Selective Feeding 🦗Stashing food items 🦗Competition 🦗Number of resources available 🦗Live prey 🦗Escaping 🦗Method of supplementation
Food presentation
🐰Food bowls 🐰Hay racks/nets 🐰Tiles for reptiles to avoid substrate 🐰Enrichment 🐰Size 🐰Time of feeding 🐰Conversion to a different diet
Feeding at the vets
🐰Simulate home feeding where possible 🐰Dietary history important 🐰Don’t introduce diet changes in clinic 🐰Correction of diet 🐰Introduction of new diet 🐰Supplements 🐰Treats
Food Storage
🥶Freezing 🥶Refrigeration 🥶Spoilage 🥶Discard uneaten food 🥶Don’t store food items with cadavers
