Animal Nutrition Test 1

What was the essential amino acid missing in man-made cat food causing heart problems, reproductive failure, poor growth in kittens born to _______-deficient queens, and gastrointestinal disturbances?

Taurine

Where here at SFTZ should you revisit before you start on a new animal?

Animal Welfare Chapter of procedures

(T/F) You only have to evaluate hay if the animals are meant to consume the hay.

False

They can still eat hay that is intended for bedding.

The process of digestion is essentially breaking down food chemically and ___________________

Mechanically

What are signs that present in cats with taurine deficiency?

* Heart problems
* Reproductive failure
* Poor growth in kittens born to taurine-deficient mothers
* GI disturbances

Many of our snakes eat in barrels. The safety technique we use to secure the snake is called?

Contact slide

When presenting mice to snakes. We present the:

Head and Shoulders

Function of a gizzard

Grinds food into digestible pieces

How long do we wait to handle snakes after they have eaten and been returned to their unit?

24 hours

Gene selection (naturally or artificially) can turn on and off amazing adaptations in animals. Scientists are currently manipulating gene selection in certain avian “teeth,” effectively looking to create:

Chickenosaurus

Why do we wash browse before feeding it to animals?

Contamination

(T/F) As a scientific community, we already know everything we need to know about the monogastric system.

False

This is known as the “forgotten nutrient”

Water

This is the part of a bird that acts like a little shopping bag built into birds. They often use it to store food they are bringing back home to their babies! They can store an impressive amount of foodstuff in there.

Crop

What is the Crop

* Pouch of the esophagus
* stores food
* some digestion may occur

When considering digestion… how is surface area relevant?

The more a particle is broken up its surface area increases and more nutrients can be taken from the particles.

This is the last site of nutrient absorption in birds. In chickens, this is the site if coccidiosis.

Caeca

What increased element in alfalfa is reason to closely monitor animal consumption?

Protein

As far as gastric secretions are concerned, which other system is highly connected and impacts secretion

Nervous System

Crop milk is lipid-rich _________ cells.

Epithelial

(T/F) All gizzards are created equal

False

Carnivorous birds don’t require grit

How are snakes able to open up wide enough to fit large prey in their mouth?

They can dislocate their jaws.

How have keepers gotten creative to help an over conditioned snake in his weight loss journey?

Water aerobics

(T/F) Knowledge of domestic and companion animal nutrition should be compared to the nutrition of wild animals with caution.

True

___________ are chemical substances that the animal’s body uses as sources of energy.

* Carbohydrates
* Proteins
* Lipids

___________ provides building blocks, called amino acids to the body.

Protein

Which nutrient forms the largest portion of most animals’ food supply?

Carbohydrates

Dry dog food was developed after World War II, due to ...

Shortage of tin cans

BCS

Body Condition Scoring

An animal that secretes enzymes into their digestive tract to process food is called a

Monogastric

Which nutrients don't typically need to undergo digestion and can be absorbed as they are?

Vitamins and minerals

The small intestine aids in the digestive process, but also

protects the body from foreign antigens

Name 4 Feeding Strategies

* Omnivores
* Carnivores
* Herivores
* Specialist Feeders

Specialist Feeders

highly specialized digestive systems, eat a narrow range of food

Examples of specialist feeders

Koalas only eat eucalyptus

Pandas consume mainly bamboo foliage

Why is the Giant Panda a vegetarian carnivore?

They are in the order Cornivora and have the teeth and digestive tract of a true carnivore, but they are vegetarian by feeding strategy.

Autoenzymatic digestion

* animal secretes enzymes into digestive tract to process food.


* Auto=Self
* non-ruminants

Alloenzymatic digesters

microbes inside the gut produce enzymes to process food

What system causes the release of hormones that control gastric secretions?

Endocrine System

Digestion

Preparation of ingested food for absorption of nutrients

Peristalsis

muscular contractions that propel digesta through the digestive tract

Anti-peristalsis

muscular contractions that move gut contents backwards

How does the digestive tract of birds differ from mammalian autoenzymatic digesters?

* Birds have a segmented stomach with a true gastric stomach (proventriculus) and the gizzard.


* Birds have 2 caeca, mammals have 1

What acid is responsible for the low pH of the stomach?

HCl

Causes of stomach ulcers

* Bacterial infections
* Improper diet
* Imbalance of stomach acid

What birds produce crop milk?

* flamingos
* pigeons
* parrots
* penguins
* pelicans

What is crop milk?

* Regurgitated with food when feeding young
* Production is stimulated by prolactin

Gizzard

* thick-walled
* grinds food into digestible pieces
* uses grit (small rocks)
* carnivorous birds don’t require grit

Uses for snake venom

* meds to stop blood clots during heart attack
* high blood pressure and heart failure meds
* breast cancer treatment
* Gila monster venom for diabetes