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Policy #16: Proper Diets for Nondomestic Felids
References:
History:
Justification:
Policy:
The feeding of roadkill should be discouraged. When used, it must be fresh, wholesome and free of certain types of contamination that can be visually observed (such as pus, maggots or worms). Carcasses or meat should be fed promptly. Carcasses or portions of carcasses should be removed when spoilage begins, or, at a maximum, 12 hours after being placed into the enclosure. If not immediately fed, a carcass must be processed into smaller pieces and frozen for future use in order to meet the requirement of being wholesome and free from contamination. Sick animals, or animals that have died of illness or unknown causes are considered unwholesome and must not be used for food. Animals euthanized with chemical euthanizing agents must not be used for food because of the danger of poisoning. When food animals have been euthanized by gunshot, the lead shot should be removed to prevent lead poisoning from ingestion of the pellets. Downer animals exhibiting signs of central nervous system disorders, including dairy and beef cows, horses, other livestock (particularly sheep), and wildlife species, must not be used for food because of the risk of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. This includes animals suffering from scrapie and any chronic wasting disease. If the downer animals were clearly harvested because of physical injuries only, they may be used for food when properly processed. In addition, animals known or suspected of being affected with Johnne’s disease should not be fed to felids. Likewise swine from herds identified with pseudorabies should not be fed to any species of felid.
Adherence to a strict feeding schedule is strongly recommended. Scheduled feedings will result in the animals consuming the meal more quickly, and decreasing the time for potential spoilage. Meals should be of proper proportions, to facilitate consumption before they spoil or become contaminated. If spoilage (contamination) does not require earlier removal, food not consumed within 12 hours should be removed and disposed of properly. After this time, APHIS would not consider the food to be wholesome. Likewise, to be considered wholesome, stored meat should be refrigerated, or wrapped and frozen. Frozen meats must be handled appropriately to prevent contamination (e.g., thawed under refrigeration). Grains, cereals, or bakery products are not to be fed since felids do not have the enzymes necessary to digest food with high carbohydrate content. Feeding of such products would be detrimental to the health of the animal and would not be considered to have sufficient nutritive value. Outdated meats from grocery stores may be fed if they are wholesome when acquired and are kept refrigerated or frozen until used. If fish is provided as a part of the diet, it should comprise no more than 20% of the diet, should not be fed daily, and appropriate vitamin E and thiamine supplementation is needed to compensate for thiaminase and high polyunsaturated fatty acid content.
In order to mimic natural feeding behaviors and when approved by the attending veterinarian, animals that fall within a normal weight range may be fasted for 1 or 2 nonconsecutive days per week. Normal weight range means that the animal would not be considered too thin by the attending veterinarian or another knowledgeable big cat expert. Underweight animals should not be fasted. During fasting, long femur bones, oxtails, horsetails, or rawhides should be fed in order to promote periodontal health and provide an opportunity for the animals to engage in more natural feeding behaviors. This is a good practice even when the animals (such as those that are underweight) are not fasted. The exclusive feeding of soft diets has become a significant problem for nondomestic cats, and may result in oral disease. Diet formulations that require no chewing or tearing may contribute to excessive dental plaque and calculus formation when fed for prolonged periods. This, in turn, may lead to gingivitis, loose teeth, abscesses in the oral cavity and, ultimately bacteremia.
If young felids are not kept with the dam until weaned, a balanced formula and an appropriate feeding schedule should be approved in writing by the attending veterinarian. If any puppy milk replacer products are selected, then taurine must be added to the formula daily to meet the needs of the neonates. If taurine is not added to puppy milk replacer products, the result could be death to the felid.
Issue Date: March 25, 2011
AWA Section 2143
9 CFR, Part 2, Section 2.40
9 CFR, Part 3, Section 3.129
Replaces policy dated October 13, 1998 and previously identified as Policy #25.
To clarify what is considered acceptable nutritious food for non-domestic felids (including large felids such as lions, tigers, cougars, pumas, jaguars, leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards, and cheetahs, and smaller felids such as ocelots, fishing cats, bobcats, lynx, caracals, and servals).
The diet for non-domestic (i.e., wild or exotic) felids must be wholesome, palatable, and free from contamination. A number of commercially prepared diets are available which are appropriate for the varying needs of exotic or wild felids. If such diets are not used, the attending veterinarian--preferably in consultation with a nutritionist- should approve, in writing, a nutritionally complete alternative diet. The written diet should specify the type, quantity, and frequency of any nutritional supplements. A diet composed exclusively of poultry necks or red muscle meat is nutritionally incomplete, and will result in skeletal structural damage, neurologic problems, or other potentially irreversible health problems including death. A diet based on muscle meat alone will result in a dietary imbalance of calcium, phosphorus and Vitamin D, leading to a nutritional bone disease, as well as potentially leading to a Vitamin A or Vitamin B1 deficiency. These disease processes are manifested more readily in lactating or growing animals. A diet based on muscle meat requires 5 to 6 grams of calcium carbonate per pound of muscle meat fed to provide an appropriate calcium: phosphorous ratio and to prevent metabolic bone disease. Vitamin A deficiencies are most commonly seen in young growing lions and often present as neurologic disorders.
