Practical feeding

Question 1

Feeding rabbits

Answer 1

• crepuscular feeders
• hind gut fermenters (pure vegetarians)
• like to eat at dawn and dusk

Question 2

Rabbit food

Answer 2

• Hay, grazing, browsing
• green vegetables
• sometimes concentrates (small amount fed at night)

Question 3

Types of rabbit food

Answer 3

• Extruded pellets - best
• alfalfa mix - can be sugary
• cheap ‘museli’ mixes - high carb, upset gut flora, poor caecal flora, non-caecotrophy, soiled perineum prone to fly strike, dental disease
• ‘breeder’ pellets
• ‘treats’ often lead to obesity

Question 4

Problems arising from poor diet in rabbits

Answer 4

• incorrect Ca:P (osteodystrophy, dental disease, calciuria)
• low fibre (poor gut motility, poor caecal flora, non-caecotrophy, dental disease)

Question 5

What should Ca:P be in rabbits

Answer 5

1.5 - 2 : 1

Question 6

How much concentrates should rabbits be given in food?

Answer 6

Don’t need any but can have up to 2-3% of BW per day

Question 7

What greens should you give to rabbits?

Answer 7

• not lettuce
• not carrots daily as very sugary

Question 8

Feeding guinea pigs

Answer 8

• herbivorous
• eat grass
• require daily vit C
• do not rely on in water supplementation only, or just vegetables

Question 9

Vitamin C for guinea pigs

Answer 9

Require 10-30 mg/kg/24hrs

Disease may be seen within 14 days of starting a deficient diet

Requirement increases x2 or 3 in disease, growth, pregnancy, lactation, stress, etc

Question 10

Correct feeding of guinea pigs

Answer 10

Grazing and/or hay
Concentrates adequately supplemented with vitamin C
+/- green vegetables
Avoid cheap mixes and very sugary treats

Question 11

Problems arising from the incorrect feeding of guinea pigs

Answer 11

Lack of fibre
- Barbering
- Loose stools

Incorrect calcium ratios
- Renoliths and sludge
- Dental disease

Malocclusion
- Usually secondary to scurvy
- The lower teeth curve in and trap the tongue on the floor of the mouth

Scurvy (hypovitaminosis C)
- In young animals: joint swelling/pain
- Adults: malocclusion, poor wound healing, immunosuppression

Question 12

Chinchillas

Answer 12

• Mountain dwelling herbivores from South America
• cannot tolerate more than 3% fat in diet

Question 13

Correct diet of chinchillas

Answer 13

Hay
Good quality chinchilla pellets
Treats such as hard vegetables and fruit

Question 14

Problems arising from the incorrect feeding of chinchillas

Answer 14

○ Dental disease
○ Oesteodystrophy
○ Hypocalcaemic fits
○ Greasy fur, scaly skin
○ Fatty liver disease
○ Paraphimosis
Colic/bloat

Question 15

Degus

Answer 15

• Octodon degus - a Hystricomorph rodent
• True herbivores
• Lives in colonies with burrow systems in south America (rabbit niche)
• Commonly develops diabetes mellitus if fed diet too high in soluble carbohydrates
• Pellets and hay

Question 16

Rats and mice

Answer 16

Parasites of man
- Eat whatever we try to grow for ourselves, or what we leave behind
- Require/expect plenty of animal protein in their diet
- True omnivores

Question 17

Hamsters and gerbils - what they eat in the wild

Answer 17

• invertebrates
• fresh vegetation
• dry seeds

Question 18

Commercial small mammal foods

Answer 18

• Differ greatly in quality, with many being mixes
• There are not some good pelleted foods available, though also some poor ones
• Consider supplementing with seeds, fresh vegetables/fruit, insects, other protein source

Question 19

Problems of incorrect feeding in rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils

Answer 19

• Undersize
  
  • Poor skin/hair loss
  • Poor immune system and poor general health
    
    • Poor dentition

Question 20

Ferrets

Answer 20

• Descended from polecats, not to be confused with American Black Footed Ferret
• Obligate carnivores
• Ferocious and determined hunters
• Kill and consume prey many times their own size
• Originally working animals
• A bit like cats
• Feed complete tinned food, ideally not dry food (dental disease)
• Carcases excellent for mental and dental health

Question 21

Feeding cage and aviary birds

Answer 21

• Variety and stimulation (presentation)
• No birds should be fed entirely on seed and nuts (predispose weight gain and obesity, and can reduce calcium intake), except macaws
• Essential amino acids: lysine and methionine
• Max 8% fat in diet except for the big macaws
• Environmental enrichment
• Parrots tend to be neotrophic once mature

Question 22

What do they sell in pet shops for birds?

Answer 22

• Seed and sunflower/nut mixes (poorly nutritious)
• Egg foods (high protein)
• pelleted complete foods (good but boring)
• speciality foods
• supplements
• cuttlefish bone
• oysterfish grit
• mineral grit
• combined supplements
• iodine blocks

Question 23

Feeding budgies

Answer 23

○ Seed mic (trill)/pelleted food
○ Egg based soft food
○ Calcium source
○ Iodine source (if not on trill) otherwise will get a goitre
○ Grit
○ Green food/fruit
Millet sprays

Question 24

Feeding cockatiels

Answer 24

○ Cockatiel or parakeet mix/pelleted food
○ Swap to budgie mix if birds become obese
○ Can be neophobic
○ Soft food
○ Calcium/grit
Fruit/green food

Question 25

Feeding canaries

Answer 25

○ Canary mix/pelleted food ○ Soft food ○ Green food/fruit ○ Grit, calcium source Many canaries are fed a 'colour food' during the moult to enhance feather colour

Question 26

Feeding parrots

Answer 26

○ Most are mainly frugivorous ○ Diet varies according to habitat ○ No wild parrot eats dry sunflower seeds and peanuts ○ Max 8% fat (except large macaws)

Question 27

Why shouldn't you feed parrot mix?

Answer 27

§ Generally a rubbish diet, but unfortunately almost universally fed § High in fat § Low in fibre § Low in calcium § Lack lysine and methionine § Low in EFAs Low in fat soluble vitamins

Question 28

Complete extruded diets for parrots

Answer 28

§ One flavour, lots of colours § Good but dry and boring § Often not easy to convert birds to dry diets- takes time and patience In essence a bit like feeding complete dog food, but to a more intelligent and discerning animal

Question 29

Home made fresh diets for parrots

Answer 29

§ Excellent if the owner understands teh composition needs § Include pulses, maize, fruit, and vegetables § May need supplementation - especially certain species § May need a protein source Easy for young bird that's a member of the family

Question 30

What not to feed parrots

Answer 30

§ Chocolate § Avocado - toxic to all birds § High fat foods § High salt foods § Caffeine ?human foods?

Question 31

Treats for parrots

Answer 31

Fermented milk products are fine - mix with fruit Bones, chicken legs, insects Man made treats and juices - may make giving medicines easier if trained with syringe of orange juice etc.

Question 32

Feeding lories and lorikeets

Answer 32

- nectar +/- fruit - there are commercial nectar replacements - some owners do a mix of honey, 'complan', baby foods, sponge cake, etc.

Question 33

Feeding Mediterranean (tseudo) tortoises

Answer 33

5 main species Herbivores (more or less) Diet varies with the seasons in quantity and quality There are very active animals, and have periods of rapid and nil growth during the year Ideally adlib grazing

Question 34

What do wild tortoises eat in addition to grazing

Answer 34

- flower petals - fallen fruit - occasionally invertebrates and carrion

Question 35

Food bad for tortoises to eat regularly

Answer 35

- peas or beans - dog food - just tortoise pellets - lots of fruit Too much protein and will cause issues

Question 36

What issues can too much protein cause for tortoises

Answer 36

Overgrown beaks and claws Liver disease Too rapid growth in young animals - shell abnormalities Weakness/osteodystrophy Hypovitaminosis A

Question 37

Feeding red-eared terrapins and other terrapins and turtles

Answer 37

Omnivorous (but practically carnivorous) Pelleted foods are now excellent, but should not me exclusive We used to see osteodystrophy, thiamine deficiency and hypovitaminosis A - on fresh and frozen meat diets

Question 38

Feeding common green iguana and other herbivores

Answer 38

Leaves, flowers, and fruit Supplements Full spectrum UK daylight fluorescent tube Slow growth Exercise

Question 39

Feeding omnivorous reptiles

Answer 39

Insects, flowers, and fruit and greens Supplements High sunlight requirement - full UV spectrum light

Question 40

Feeding insectivorous lizards

Answer 40

Dont eat greens Commercial live food Supplements (in date) Some species like fruit/nectar UV 'daylight' tube must be in date

Question 41

Feeding carnivorous reptiles

Answer 41

Low calorie, infrequent feeding Lots of exercise Full spectrum UV lights Tegus etc.

Question 42

Locusts and crickets

Answer 42

The basis for most insectivore diets Need gut loading and supplementation Relatively expensive Keratin on crickets can be tough Can bite back! Dont just leave them in there

Question 43

Mealworms

Answer 43

Cheap Can be fatty Slow moving Ca:P = 1:22 Gut load and supplement

Question 44

Feeding snakes

Answer 44

○ All are carnivorous (some just eggs) ○ If captive bred, will be used to and will feed on thawed out frozen rodents ○ Prefer a quiet environment with minimal vibration ○ Some are agoraphobic and neophobic Will remember bad experiences and relate for future feeds

Question 45

Food for snakes

Answer 45

§ Choose appropriate sized feed item § Feed as much as the snake wants to eat at one sitting § Feed with supplements if using immature feed § Do not feed again until faeces ahs been passed § Feed each snake in separate containers § Some eat eggs, amphibians, and other reptiles

Question 46

Feeding taratulas

Answer 46

- Commercial livefood (which moves) - Pinkie mice (need to be waved about)

Question 47

Feeding Giant African land snail

Answer 47

- Fruit and veg - calcium source

Question 48

Stick insects

Answer 48

- Indian stick insect - privet