Despite the fact that zoos have been hosting exotic felids for many decades, little is known about what these animals should be fed in captivity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the apparent digestibility of three different raw diets in four large exotic felid species (lion (Panthera leo), jaguar (Panthera onca), leopard (Panthera pardus), Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)). Furthermore, nutritional adequacy of the diets was evaluated according to the nutritional requirements of domestic cats. All animals (7 leopards, 2 lions, 1 jaguar and 1 tiger) received three different diets: 1) raw beef meat; 2) raw whole chicken without entrails; 3) raw whole rabbit with liver and kidneys. In order to measure diets apparent digestibility, silica was added to each diet at 0.5%. Each diet was fed for 5 d followed by a 2-d fasting period. Faeces were collected during the last 3 d of each feeding period and stored at –20°C for analyses (humidity, protein, fat, ash, macro and trace elements) together with three samples of each diet. Results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA with the diet as the main factor; the Student t-test was used as the post test. Differences were considered significant for P<0.05. Apparent total tract dry matter (DM) digestibility tended to be higher for the beef diet (93.4 vs. 83.3 and 86.4% for beef, rabbit and chicken, respectively; P=0.057), presumably for the presence of bones in the rabbit and chicken diets. Crude protein (CP) digestibility was slightly higher in beef compared with the other diets (97.9 vs. 94.9 and 95.7% for beef, rabbit and chicken, respectively; P<0.05). In the present study, beef was mainly composed of muscle tissue while rabbit and poultry were fed as whole carcasses as such providing the animals with higher amounts of connective tissue, a source of low digestible protein. Fat digestibility did not differ among diets. With regard to macro minerals, digestibility of phosphorus and sulphur was higher in beef (P<0.05); digestibility of other macro minerals did not differ among treatments. Digestibility of trace minerals was in general low with the only exception of selenium (average digestibility 88%) and there were no differences among diets. The low digestibility of trace minerals was probably the consequence of the fact that intestinal absorption of trace minerals is in general very low if the animals are not deficient in these nutrients. Comparing the composition of the three diets with the nutritional requirements of domestic cats confirmed that beef meat contains only traces of calcium (0.1% of DM) and should not be used as the only ingredient in the diets of exotic felids. Conversely, the amounts of calcium and phosphorus contained in chicken and rabbit were much higher than the requirements of adult cats. In conclusion, all diets showed a good digestibility with beef being more digestible than chicken and rabbit. Based on the composition of the tested diets, it seems reasonable to suggest that the diet of exotic felids should contain both raw meat and whole chickens and/or rabbits.
Evaluation of the digestibility of different raw meat diets for exotic large felids
BIAGI, GIACOMO;CIPOLLINI, IRENE;GRANDI, MONICA;ZACCARONI, ANNALISA;PINNA, CARLO;ZAGHINI, GIULIANO
2012
Abstract
Despite the fact that zoos have been hosting exotic felids for many decades, little is known about what these animals should be fed in captivity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the apparent digestibility of three different raw diets in four large exotic felid species (lion (Panthera leo), jaguar (Panthera onca), leopard (Panthera pardus), Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica)). Furthermore, nutritional adequacy of the diets was evaluated according to the nutritional requirements of domestic cats. All animals (7 leopards, 2 lions, 1 jaguar and 1 tiger) received three different diets: 1) raw beef meat; 2) raw whole chicken without entrails; 3) raw whole rabbit with liver and kidneys. In order to measure diets apparent digestibility, silica was added to each diet at 0.5%. Each diet was fed for 5 d followed by a 2-d fasting period. Faeces were collected during the last 3 d of each feeding period and stored at –20°C for analyses (humidity, protein, fat, ash, macro and trace elements) together with three samples of each diet. Results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA with the diet as the main factor; the Student t-test was used as the post test. Differences were considered significant for P<0.05. Apparent total tract dry matter (DM) digestibility tended to be higher for the beef diet (93.4 vs. 83.3 and 86.4% for beef, rabbit and chicken, respectively; P=0.057), presumably for the presence of bones in the rabbit and chicken diets. Crude protein (CP) digestibility was slightly higher in beef compared with the other diets (97.9 vs. 94.9 and 95.7% for beef, rabbit and chicken, respectively; P<0.05). In the present study, beef was mainly composed of muscle tissue while rabbit and poultry were fed as whole carcasses as such providing the animals with higher amounts of connective tissue, a source of low digestible protein. Fat digestibility did not differ among diets. With regard to macro minerals, digestibility of phosphorus and sulphur was higher in beef (P<0.05); digestibility of other macro minerals did not differ among treatments. Digestibility of trace minerals was in general low with the only exception of selenium (average digestibility 88%) and there were no differences among diets. The low digestibility of trace minerals was probably the consequence of the fact that intestinal absorption of trace minerals is in general very low if the animals are not deficient in these nutrients. Comparing the composition of the three diets with the nutritional requirements of domestic cats confirmed that beef meat contains only traces of calcium (0.1% of DM) and should not be used as the only ingredient in the diets of exotic felids. Conversely, the amounts of calcium and phosphorus contained in chicken and rabbit were much higher than the requirements of adult cats. In conclusion, all diets showed a good digestibility with beef being more digestible than chicken and rabbit. Based on the composition of the tested diets, it seems reasonable to suggest that the diet of exotic felids should contain both raw meat and whole chickens and/or rabbits.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
