title: Commercially available avian and mammalian whole prey diet items targeted for consumption by managed exotic and domestic pet felines: macronutrient, mineral, and long-chain fatty acid composition.
abstract: Whole prey diets encourage species-typical behaviors making them popular in the zoo and home setting for captive exotic and domestic felids, respectively. We evaluated macronutrient, mineral, and long-chain fatty acid composition of 20 whole prey items: mice (1-2, 10-13, 21-25, 30-40, and 150-180 days of age); rats (1-4, 10-13, 21-25, 33-42, and >60 days of age); rabbits (still born, 30-45 days, >65 days with skin, and >65 days of age with skin removed); chicken (1-3 days of age, ground adult); duck (ground adult); and quail (1-3, 21-40, and >60 days of age). Composition of whole prey was highly variable (15-40% DM, 34-75% CP, 10-60% fat, and 8-18% ash). A majority of whole prey samples (15/20) had at least one mineral or fatty acid below AAFCO [] or NRC [] minimum recommended concentrations for domestic cats (K, Na, Cl, Mg, Cu, Mn, and/or Zn; total fat, linolenic acid, arachidonic acid and/or EPA and DHA). These data identify potential nutrient deficiencies allowing for alterations in dietary formulation prior to long-term feeding.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois; Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois.
authors.forename: Katherine R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: Kelly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kappen
authors.forename: Lindsay M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Garner
authors.forename: Kelly S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Swanson
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000502:physiology*; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism; D004372:Ducks / Q000378:metabolism; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D045989:Felidae / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice / Q000378:metabolism; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D057805:Pets / Q000502:physiology*; D011784:Quail / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D008903:Minerals
keywords: cat; diet composition; feline nutrition; proximate analysis; raw diet