Integrating Gut Bacterial Diversity and Captive Husbandry to Optimize Vulture Conservation.

Endangered species recovery plans often include captive breeding and reintroduction, but success remains rare. Critical for effective recovery is an assessment of captivity-induced changes in adaptive traits of reintroduction candidates. The gut microbiota is one such trait and is particularly important for scavengers exposed to carcass microbiomes. We investigated husbandry-associated differences in the gut microbiota of two Old World vulture species using 16S RNA gene amplicon sequencing. Increased abundance of Actinobacteria occurred when vultures were fed quail but not rat or chicken. Conversely, diet preparation (sanitization) had no effect, although bacterial diversity differed significantly between vulture species, likely reflective of evolved feeding ecologies. Whilst the relative lack of influence of a sanitized diet is encouraging, changes in bacterial abundance associated with the type of prey occurred, representing a dietary influence on host-microbiome condition warranting consideration in ex situ species recovery plans. Incorporation of microbiome research in endangered species management, therefore, provides an opportunity to refine conservation practice.

Suspected adverse reactions to oral administration of a praziquantel-pyrantel combination in captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus).

OBJECTIVE To characterize adverse reactions to oral administration of a combination of praziquantel and pyrantel embonate or pyrantel pamoate, with or without oxantel embonate, in captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). DESIGN Retrospective case series and case-control study. ANIMALS 16 captive cheetahs with signs of adverse reaction to oral administration of praziquantel and pyrantel, with or without oxantel embonate (affected group), and 27 cheetahs without such reactions (unaffected group), all from 3 independent facilities. PROCEDURES Medical records and postmortem findings for affected cheetahs were reviewed and compared with those of unaffected animals. Anthelmintic doses administered, age, and sex of cheetahs were compared between groups. RESULTS 3 reactions in affected cheetahs were fatal, whereas the remainder ranged from mild to severe. Postmortem examination failed to reveal any disease processes or conditions to explain the deaths. No differences in anthelmintic dose were identified between affected and unaffected cheetahs for all facilities combined, and no correlation existed between dose and reaction severity. No association with sex was detected, but affected cheetahs were significantly younger than unaffected cheetahs. This difference was not significant after controlling for facility. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Cheetahs were concluded to have had an adverse reaction to the praziquantel-pyrantel combination because of temporal proximity of onset of clinical signs to dose administration, similarity of signs to those reported for toxicosis in other species for these drugs, and a lack of other disease process or environmental explanatory factors. A highly cautious approach to the use of this drug combination is recommended for cheetahs.

Dietary factors associated with faecal consistency and other indicators of gastrointestinal health in the captive cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus).

Gastrointestinal diseases pose significant risks to captive cheetah survival and welfare. Multiple factors are thought to be associated with these diseases, but to date a comprehensive epidemiological survey of disease risk factors has not been conducted. A survey of diet and health parameters was completed for 184 captive cheetahs in 86 international facilities. Comparisons were made among dietary factors with respect to disease status and observed faecal consistency, incidence of vomiting and diarrhoea in the past 4 weeks. Extremely dry faeces were most common in cheetahs fed carcasses, but was still of low incidence (15%). Contrastingly, cheetahs fed commercially prepared diets had the highest prevalence of liquid faeces "always" or "often" (9%). Cheetahs fed raw meat diets had the highest prevalence of soft faeces with no shape (22%), as well as of firm and dry faeces (40%). No broad category of diet exerted any influence on the health parameters investigated. However, feeding of ribs at least once per week reduced the odds of diarrhoea (P = 0.020) and feeding of long bones (limbs) at least once per week was associated with a lower odds of vomiting (P = 0.008). Cheetahs fed muscle meat at least once per week had reduced odds of suffering from chronic gastritis (P = 0.005) or non-specific gastrointestinal disease (P < 0.001). The only factor identified as increasing the odds of chronic gastritis was feeding of horse "often" or "always" (P = 0.023). The findings of the current study build on existing empirical research to support a recommendation towards a greater inclusion of skeletal components. Current husbandry guidelines advocating the use of supplemented raw meat diets are likewise supported, but the use of horse meat, as well as commercially prepared diets for captive cheetahs, warrants caution until further research is conducted.

Dietary isoflavone absorption, excretion, and metabolism in captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus).

Dietary isoflavones, capable of influencing reproductive parameters in domestic cats (Felis catus), have been detected in commercial diets fed to captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). However, the absorptive and metabolic capacity of cheetahs towards isoflavones has not yet been studied. Experiments were designed to describe the plasma concentration-time curve, metabolite profile, and urinary and fecal excretion of genistein and daidzein in cheetahs following consumption of isoflavones. Four adult cheetahs were administered a single oral bolus of genistein and daidzein, and five juvenile cheetahs consuming a milk replacer formula found to contain isoflavones were also included. Urine was collected from all animals, and blood and feces were also collected from adult cheetahs following isoflavone exposure. Samples were analyzed for isoflavone metabolite concentration by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-multiple reaction ion monitoring mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. Sulfate conjugates were the primary metabolites detected of both genistein and daidzein (60-80% of total isoflavones present) in the plasma and urine of cheetahs. A smaller proportion of daidzein was detected as conjugates in the urine of juvenile cheetahs, compared to adult cheetahs. Other metabolites included unconjugated genistein and daidzein, O-desmethylangolensin, and dihydrodaidzein, but not equol. Only 33% of the ingested genistein dose, and 9% of daidzein, was detected in plasma from adult cheetahs. However, of the ingested dose, 67% of genistein and 45% of daidzein were detected in the feces of adults. This study revealed that cheetahs appear efficient in their conjugation of absorbed dietary isoflavones and only a small fraction of ingested dose is absorbed. However, the capacity of the cheetah to conjugate genistein and daidzein with sulfate moieties appears lower than reported in the domestic cat. This may confer greater opportunity for biologic activity of isoflavones in the cheetah than would be predicted from findings in the domestic cat. However, further investigation is required.