Zoo Nutrition Flashcards
How do we classify herbivores?
- Grazers vs browsers
- Atriodactyla v Perissodactyla
- Monogastric vs foregut vs hindgut fermenters
Describe grazers?
relatively larger and more developed rumen and omasum than browsers but smaller reticulum
Describe browsers?
- Shorter food retention times & longer foraging times
- Salivary glands secrete tannins to help neutralize toxins
- Their liver are larger to detoxify noxious substances
- Don’t have rumen stratification - particles of browse are polygonal in shape compared to longish fibre length particles in grass
Rumen stratification grazers vs browsers?
What categories does atriodactyla include?
- Foregut fermenters -> Ruminants (4 stomachs), Pseudoruminnts ‘(3), and non-ruminanting foregut fermenters
- Also include suids (monogastrics)
What diets for Atriodactyls?
- Forage should be the main component of the diet
and offered on an ad lib basis - This should be supplemented with a commercial
concentrate pellet and / or mineral lick to balance
micronutrients
Grazers: high level fibre rq
Browsers: higher protein content with yopugn leaves & shoots
Monitor energy, protein and fat to avoid obesity
describe GIT of perissodactyla
- Less effective digestion compared to ruminants, hence require more bulk
- Large amounts of time spent feeding - designed to process high volumes of low-quality material
How do we cater to nutritional and physiological rq when designing a diet?
- Provision of nutrients in correct amounts - supp with mineral licks
- Bulk & roughage - good quality provision of supp forage (hay & lucerne) in addition to natural provisions
- Ensure adequate diet for dentition
- Feeding height?
- Seasonality? changes in BCS accordingly?
How can we provide for bhvr rq through diet?
- Forage main component of hoofstock diet - engagement with it important
- Creating opportunities for inc feeding & foraging times -> dec stereotypes etc
- Food presentation methods? group structure & hierarchy
- Dietary variation
- Paddock access
- Browse
Problem with browse?
PROBLEM: we don’t have enough of it
- Sourcing enough browse year round challenge
- During summer barrel browse for silage to be fed over winter
- Lucerne hay next best substitute but still doesn’t compare to browse
How has diet of captive hoofstock evolved?
- Zoo moving away from inapprorpiate ingredients like grains
- Greater focus on forage and browse & food presentation/ bhvr stim
Hippo diet?
- Low metabolic rate = prone to obesity when captive
- Potentila for overgrowth of canines and injuries to oral mucosa, poss due to insufficient tooth wear & inappropriate food components
- Risk of acidosis
Carnivores nutrition?
- Don’t eat meat they eat animals -> range of nutrients from bones, skin, fur, organs, muscle etc
- Single monogastrics
- typically fed horse meed historically
- Cull & feed back in
GI dx in captive cheetas?
- Positive correlation between whole carcass feeding and reduced incidence of gastritis
- Higher rate of gastritis when fed horse meat
- Commercially prepped diets -> higher prevalence fo loose faeces
- Ribs & long bone feeding 1x weekly ass with lower odds of vomiting
Captive carnivore diets?
- Focus on whole carcass
- Meat only needs supp - e.g. Ca:P balance
- fibvre- digestive health
- Metabolic bone dx & skeletal abn
- Taurine - essential aa
- hypervit A
- Bhvr needs
Describe Primate nutrition?
Different modes of digestion e.g. ruminant like tract of colobines
Many different foods depending on seasonal availability
What key considerations of captive primate diets ?
- Wild diet composition & feeding strategy
- Digestive system and anatomy
- Ingredient selection – suitable and available
- Dietary variation – reduce risk of boredom & stereotypies* Life stage and how requirements may change
- Fibre content – help prevent GI disturbances
- Micronutrient balance: Ca:P ratio
- UV lighting provision – Vitamin D synthesis
- Disease susceptibility – e.g. iron storage, diabetes
- Obesity risk
- Dental health
- Seasonal dietary changes
- Food presentation & behavioural needs
- Group hierarchy and social feeding
Primates functional considerations .?
- Flat nail on hallux used for grasping?
- Chimpanzee mollars feeding on tough fracture-resistant leaves and molars for softer fruits
- Tail used for locomotion and food acquisition
- Tails & limbs adapted to arboreal life
Captive diets must satifsfy: (3)?
- Nutritional needs
- Anatomical/ physiological needs
- Bhvr needs
Anatomical & physiological needs?
- Digestive anatomy and physiology
- Dentition
- Feeding height & position
- Size of feed items
- Food presentation, e.g.
dexterity
Bhvr needs?
- Maximise feeding and foraging
time - Food presentation
- Dietary variety
- Invertebrate items
- Whole prey
- Paddock access
- Browse
- Naturalistic feeding –
whole v chopped
Positive life experience (PLE)?
- Using food to promote natural behaviour, feeding or
otherwise (e.g. moving at height) - Allowing for a prolonged foraging time in line with
natural ecology and preventing boredom* Increasing activity levels to maintain health, fitness
and help prevent obesity - Disperse aggression
- Promote expression
of natural behavioural
repertoires - Seasonal and natural
feeding
Challenges of replicating natural diet?
- ALmost impossible to replicate
- Info rq -> many species no species specific info
- Mixed exhibits
- Selective feeding
- Individual needs (age etc)
- Activity budget
- Reprod status
- Availability of foods
- Diet drift
What is dietary drift?
Keeper drift awat from diet animal is supposed to be fed BC:
- No weight out properly
- Inadequate diet sheet
- Perceived idea of better body condition
- Anthropomorphism
Dietary changes & transitions?
- Changes should be gradual
- SOurcing suitable ingredients
- Possible trial of new food items
What can help us know how good a diet is?
- Body condition scoring
- Weighing
- Faecal scoring
- Food intake assessment
- Coat condition & demeanour
- Prevalence of medical issues
- general bhvr & activity budgets
- Interaction with conspecifics
What do we get obesity?
- Overfeeding
- Inappropriate nutrition
- Low activity levels
- Associated problems - cholesterol levels in meerkats
Prevention of obesity?
- Appropriate diet and amounts
- Behavioural stimulation
- Avoid ‘treats’
- Public education
Why can we see condition loss?
- Parasite burdens
- Reproductive status
- Group dominance and uneven food distribution
- Stress
- Underlying medical issue
- Dietary imbalance – diet too low in energy / unsuitable forage quality
- Inappropriate environmental conditions
- Dental issues
- Age
Prevention / Tx?
- Check forage quality
- Ensure enough food bowls
- Adjust diet-> lactation, geritric, parasites
- BCS regularly
- Carry out faecal checks
- Ensure efficient reporting between keepers/ vet staff to nutritonists
Giraffe Lactation?
- Peak in 2nd-3rd months
175% that of maintenance at maximal lactation - Food intake 50-100% during lact
Common nutritional problems?
- Vitamin/mineral abnormalities -> deficiency, toxicity, prevention
- Urolithiasis
- CKD
- Metabolic bone dx
- Bloat
What deficiencies can we get?
- Inadequate diet
- Digestive problems – affecting absorption
- Species specific requirements not met
- Vitamin E and Selenium deficiency in equids
- Copper deficiency in oryx
Toxicities ?
- Iron storage disease in lemurs, hornbills, black
rhino, some birds - Use custom feed
- Avoid food items which contain high levels
- Contact feed suppliers to check nutrients
Urolithiasis?
o High protein diet? Aethiology not totally clear
o Otters – recent study found that provision of fish and crustaceans may have a protective effect
o Prevention
* Feed appropriate protein and fibre levels
* Check diet composition – avoid high levels of meat
* Ensure adequate water
supply
CKD?
- Often ageing animals
- Common in felids
- dietary link? high protein?
Metabolic Bone dx?
- Imbalance of Ca/P
- Lack of Vitamin D3 (UV)
Metabolic bone dx prevention?
- Feeding a balanced diet (gut loading, supplementing)* Dietary Vit D3
supplementation - Supplemental UV lighting
(mounted correctly and
checked regularly) - Natural UV
What should captive diet of perissodactyls look like?
- Forage should also be the main component of
the diet and offered on an ad lib basis - This should be supplemented with a commercial
concentrate pellet and / or mineral lick to
balance micronutrients
-> high fibre rq
-> monitor energy, protein & fat to avoid obesity
- Acess to grazing may need to be managed if animals become over-conditions / prone to laminits
What categories included in Perissodactyla
- Hindgut fermenters (equids, rhinos)
