ABSTRACT
Second to beef, pork is a major protein source produced in the US. Properly sourced and handled pork could be utilized as a protein option for zoo-managed carnivores. Concerns of high levels of microbial populations in raw meat diets are common. The objectives of this study were to determine apparent total tract macronutrient and energy digestibility and fecal scores from cats fed a commercially manufactured raw pork-based diet compared with commercially available raw carnivore diets formulated with either horse or beef and evaluate typical microbial population variation among the diets. Dietary treatments consisted of 4 raw meat-based diets: Horse, Beef, Pork, and beef/horse Blend. All diets were highly digestible, especially fat digestibility (98.6 to 99.7%) in which there were no statistical differences among diets. Digestibility of organic matter (OM) was greater (P = 0.05) when cats consumed the Blend diet (97.2%) compared to the Pork diet (93.1%). Fecal scores ranged from 1.6 to 2.6 (on a 5-point scale), with Beef (2.6) being greater than (P = 0.01) Horse (1.6) and (P = 0.02) Pork (1.9). E. coli counts ranged from 110 to 10,000 cfu/g; total coliforms: 150 to 28,000 cfu/g; yeast: 20 to 4,000 cfu/g; mold count: not detectable to 10 cfu/g; and aerobic plate count: 23,000 to 26,000,000 cfu/g. Staphylococcus aureus was not detected in any of the diets. Salmonella was presumptive positive in the Pork and Blend diet, and was negative in the other 2 diets. In conclusion, commercially manufactured diets have varying microbial counts. All diets, including the raw pork-based diet were well utilized by exotic small cats and can be included among dietary options for managed felids.
ABSTRACT
Two experiments were conducted to evaluate digestibility and palatability of a new commercial pork-based raw diet for zoo-managed felids. Currently 2 protein sources (beef or horse) comprise the majority of commercial raw meat diet formulations for exotic carnivores in zoological institutions. Pork-based diets have traditionally not been widely utilized and thus nutrient digestibility of pork has not been adequately evaluated in exotic carnivores. The objectives of this study were 1) to determine if a pork-based diet had similar apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility and fecal scores as standard zoo carnivore diets formulated with either horse or beef, in large exotic felids and 2) evaluate palatability of pork for use in zoos. Ten exotic felids were used including cheetahs (; 3), jaguars (; = 3), leopards (; 2), puma (; 1), and Bengal tiger (; 1). Dietary treatments consisted of 4 raw meat diets: 1 horse-based (Horse), 2 beef-based (B1, B2), and 1 pork-based diet (Pork). Fecal scores also were evaluated (1 = hard to 5 = watery/liquid). This randomized crossover design study consisted of 4 periods, each 10 d for treatment adaptation followed by 4 d of sample collection. Dry matter and crude protein apparent digestibility values were greater ( < 0.05) in felids fed Pork (88.0 and 95.7%) compared with felids fed Horse (83.6 and 92.7%) and B2 (85.6 and 93.1%). Apparent organic matter digestibility was greater ( < 0.05) in felids fed Pork (90.8%) than felids fed Horse (88.5%). Apparent fat digestibility values were high across all treatments but were greater ( < 0.05) in felids fed Pork (98.5%) compared with felids fed B1 (95.5%) or B2 (96.5%). Gross energy digestibility values were greater in felids fed Pork (92.4%) compared with B1 (90.2%). Average fecal scores were 2.30, 2.94, 3.42, and 3.54 for Horse, Pork, B1 and B2, respectively; and were different ( < 0.05) between treatments with exception of B1 and B2 that did not differ. Felids approached the pork diet first in 65.6% of observations and tasted the pork diet first in 71.9% of observations, compared with a beef-based raw diet. Based on results, the evaluated pork-based diet had similar apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility and palatability compared with standard zoo carnivore formulations. In conclusion, pork-based diets could be included among dietary options for large zoo felids.
