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Gookin JL, Strong SJ, Bruno-Bárcena JM, Stauffer SH, Williams S, Wassack E, Azcarate-Peril MA, Estrada M, Seguin A, Balzer J, Davidson G. Randomized placebo-controlled trial of feline-origin Enterococcus hirae probiotic effects on preventative health and fecal microbiota composition of fostered shelter kittens. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:923792. [PMID: 36467638 PMCID: PMC9714445 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.923792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Diarrhea is the second most common cause of mortality in shelter kittens. Studies examining prevention strategies in this population are lacking. Probiotics are of particular interest but studies in cats are largely limited to healthy adults or those with induced disease. Only one study in domestic cats describes the use of host-derived bacteria as a probiotic. We previously identified Enterococcus hirae as a dominant species colonizing the small intestinal mucosa in healthy shelter kittens. Oral administration of a probiotic formulation of kitten-origin E. hirae (strain 1002-2) mitigated the increase in intestinal permeability and fecal water loss resulting from experimental enteropathogenic E. coli infection in purpose-bred kittens. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that administration of kitten-origin E. hirae to weaned fostered shelter kittens could provide a measurable preventative health benefit. METHODS We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded clinical trial to determine the impact of a freeze-dried E. hirae probiotic on body weight gain, incidence of diarrhea, carriage of potential diarrheal pathogens, and composition of the intestinal microbiota in weaned fostered shelter kittens. RESULTS One-hundred thirty kittens completed the study. Fifty-eight kittens received the probiotic and 72 received the placebo. There were no significant differences in age, weight upon initiation of the study, number of days in the study, average daily gain in body weight, or weight at completion of the study. Kittens treated with E. hirae were 3.4 times less likely to develop diarrhea compared to kittens treated with placebo (odds ratio = 0.294, 95% CI 0.109-0.792, p = 0.022). A significant impact of E. hirae was not observed on the presence or abundance of 30 different bacterial, viral, protozoal, fungal, algal, and parasitic agents in feces examined by qPCR. With exception to a decrease in Megamonas, administration of the E. hirae probiotic did not alter the predominant bacterial phyla present in feces based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. DISCUSSION Decreased incidence of diarrhea associated with preventative administration of E. hirae to foster kittens supports a rationale for use of E. hirae for disease prevention in this young population at high risk for intestinal disease though additional studies are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jody L Gookin
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Sandra J Strong
- Department of Environmental Services, Wake County Animal Center, Raleigh, NC, United States
- Orange County Animal Services, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - José M Bruno-Bárcena
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Stephen H Stauffer
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Shelby Williams
- Veterinary Hospital Pharmacy, College of Veterinary Medicine and Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- University of Wisconsin Veterinary Care, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Erica Wassack
- Veterinary Hospital Pharmacy, College of Veterinary Medicine and Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
| | - M Andrea Azcarate-Peril
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and UNC Microbiome Core, Department of Medicine, Center for Gastrointestinal Biology and Disease, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Marko Estrada
- IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., West Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Alexis Seguin
- IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., West Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Joerg Balzer
- Vet Med Labor GmbH Division, IDEXX Laboratories, Inc., Kornwestheim, Germany
| | - Gigi Davidson
- Veterinary Hospital Pharmacy, College of Veterinary Medicine and Comparative Medicine Institute, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
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Dillard BA, Chung AK, Gunderson AR, Campbell-Staton SC, Moeller AH. Humanization of wildlife gut microbiota in urban environments. eLife 2022; 11:76381. [PMID: 35638605 PMCID: PMC9203057 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is rapidly altering Earth's environments, demanding investigation of the impacts on resident wildlife. Here, we show that urban populations of coyotes (Canis latrans), crested anole lizards (Anolis cristatellus), and white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) acquire gut microbiota constituents found in humans, including gut bacterial lineages associated with urbanization in humans. Comparisons of urban and rural wildlife and human populations revealed significant convergence of gut microbiota among urban populations relative to rural populations. All bacterial lineages overrepresented in urban wildlife relative to rural wildlife and differentially abundant between urban and rural humans were also overrepresented in urban humans relative to rural humans. Remarkably, the bacterial lineage most overrepresented in urban anoles was a Bacteroides sequence variant that was also the most significantly overrepresented in urban human populations. These results indicate parallel effects of urbanization on human and wildlife gut microbiota and suggest spillover of bacteria from humans into wildlife in cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A Dillard
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States
| | | | | | | | - Andrew H Moeller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, United States
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Mangiaterra S, Schmidt-Küntzel A, Marker L, Di Cerbo A, Piccinini R, Guadagnini D, Turba ME, Berardi S, Galosi L, Preziuso S, Cerquetella M, Rossi G. Effect of a Probiotic Mixture in Captive Cheetahs (Acinonyx Jubatus) with Gastrointestinal Symptoms—A Pilot Study. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12030395. [PMID: 35158716 PMCID: PMC8833592 DOI: 10.3390/ani12030395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In recent years, many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of probiotics in acute and chronic gastrointestinal disorders in both humans and animals. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of a specific probiotic mixture in cheetahs. In the wild, cheetah populations have drastically reduced due to habitat destruction, human–wildlife conflict and illegal wildlife trade. In captivity, chronic gastrointestinal diseases have a high prevalence. Based on our results, it can be concluded that probiotics may be helpful as a dietary supplement in cheetahs suffering from gastrointestinal disease. Abstract Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are classified as “vulnerable” species due to the low numbers persisting in the wild. Gastrointestinal diseases are very common in this species when they are kept in captivity, in particular gastritis. Clinical signs are predominantly characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss and anorexia. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of a multi-strain probiotic in two groups of cheetahs: Group A (n = 4)—rescued cheetahs housed at the Cheetah Conservation Fund (Otjiwarongo, Namibia); Group B (n = 9)—captive cheetahs housed in Italian zoos. Animals showed gastrointestinal signs of different severity, and were positive for Helicobacter spp., detected by PCR in stool samples. Two sachets of probiotic formulation were administered to all cheetahs once a day for 21 consecutive days. Clinical conditions (appetite loss, vomiting, stool consistency and Body Condition Score) before (T0) and after 21 days of probiotic administration (T1) were then compared using a simplified Feline Chronic Enteropathy Activity Index (FCEAI) score. A slight but not significant improvement in the scores was observed in Group A, which had mild intestinal symptoms, while a significant decrease in vomiting and stool consistency (**p < 0.01) scores was observed in Group B, which had more pronounced symptoms. Results suggest that high concentrations of live probiotics can be of help in managing gastrointestinal signs in cheetahs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Mangiaterra
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62024 Matelica, MC, Italy; (A.D.C.); (L.G.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (G.R.)
- Correspondence:
| | | | - Laurie Marker
- Cheetah Conservation Fund, Otjiwarongo 9000, Namibia; (A.S.-K.); (L.M.)
| | - Alessandro Di Cerbo
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62024 Matelica, MC, Italy; (A.D.C.); (L.G.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (G.R.)
| | | | | | | | - Sara Berardi
- DVM Freelance Consultant, 62100 Macerata, MC, Italy;
| | - Livio Galosi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62024 Matelica, MC, Italy; (A.D.C.); (L.G.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (G.R.)
| | - Silvia Preziuso
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62024 Matelica, MC, Italy; (A.D.C.); (L.G.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (G.R.)
| | - Matteo Cerquetella
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62024 Matelica, MC, Italy; (A.D.C.); (L.G.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (G.R.)
| | - Giacomo Rossi
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62024 Matelica, MC, Italy; (A.D.C.); (L.G.); (S.P.); (M.C.); (G.R.)
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Dudek NK, Switzer AD, Costello EK, Murray MJ, Tomoleoni JA, Staedler MM, Tinker MT, Relman DA. Characterizing the oral and distal gut microbiota of the threatened southern sea otter (
Enhydra lutris nereis
) to enhance conservation practice. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022; 4. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Natasha K. Dudek
- Department of Medicine Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford California 94305 USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz California USA
- Department of Computer Science McGill University—Mila‐Québec AI Institute Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Alexandra D. Switzer
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford California USA
| | - Elizabeth K. Costello
- Department of Medicine Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford California 94305 USA
| | | | - Joseph A. Tomoleoni
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center Santa Cruz California USA
| | | | - M. Tim Tinker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California Santa Cruz California USA
- U.S. Geological Survey Western Ecological Research Center Santa Cruz California USA
- Nhydra Ecological Consulting Head of St Margaret's Bay Nova Scotia Canada
| | - David A. Relman
- Department of Medicine Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford California 94305 USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford California USA
- Infectious Diseases Section Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System Palo Alto California USA
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Diaz J, Reese AT. Possibilities and limits for using the gut microbiome to improve captive animal health. Anim Microbiome 2021; 3:89. [PMID: 34965885 PMCID: PMC8715647 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-021-00155-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Because of its potential to modulate host health, the gut microbiome of captive animals has become an increasingly important area of research. In this paper, we review the current literature comparing the gut microbiomes of wild and captive animals, as well as experiments tracking the microbiome when animals are moved between wild and captive environments. As a whole, these studies report highly idiosyncratic results with significant differences in the effect of captivity on the gut microbiome between host species. While a few studies have analyzed the functional capacity of captive microbiomes, there has been little research directly addressing the health consequences of captive microbiomes. Therefore, the current body of literature cannot broadly answer what costs, if any, arise from having a captive microbiome in captivity. Addressing this outstanding question will be critical to determining whether it is worth pursuing microbial manipulations as a conservation tool. To stimulate the next wave of research which can tie the captive microbiome to functional and health impacts, we outline a wide range of tools that can be used to manipulate the microbiome in captivity and suggest a variety of methods for measuring the impact of such manipulation preceding therapeutic use. Altogether, we caution researchers against generalizing results between host species given the variability in gut community responses to captivity and highlight the need to understand what role the gut microbiome plays in captive animal health before putting microbiome manipulations broadly into practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Diaz
- Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Aspen T Reese
- Section of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Whittemore JC, Stokes JE, Laia NL, Price JM, Suchodolski JS. Short and long-term effects of a synbiotic on clinical signs, the fecal microbiome, and metabolomic profiles in healthy research cats receiving clindamycin: a randomized, controlled trial. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5130. [PMID: 30038854 PMCID: PMC6054061 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Antibiotic-associated gastrointestinal signs (AAGS) occur commonly in cats. Co-administration of synbiotics is associated with decreased AAGS in people, potentially due to stabilization of the fecal microbiome and metabolome. The purpose of this double-blinded randomized-controlled trial was to compare AAGS and the fecal microbiome and metabolome between healthy cats that received clindamycin with a placebo or synbiotic. Methods 16 healthy domestic shorthair cats from a research colony were randomized to receive 150 mg clindamycin with either a placebo (eight cats) or commercially-available synbiotic (eight cats) once daily for 21 days with reevaluation 603 days thereafter. All cats ate the same diet. Food consumption, vomiting, and fecal score were recorded. Fecal samples were collected daily on the last three days of baseline (days 5–7), treatment (26–28), and recovery (631–633). Sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry was performed. Clinical signs, alpha and beta diversity metrics, dysbiosis indices, proportions of bacteria groups, and metabolite profiles were compared between treatment groups using repeated measures ANOVAs. Fecal metabolite pathway analysis was performed. P < 0.05 was considered significant. The Benjamini & Hochberg’s False Discovery Rate was used to adjust for multiple comparisons. Results Median age was six and five years, respectively, for cats in the placebo and synbiotic groups. Hyporexia, vomiting, diarrhea, or some combination therein were induced in all cats. Though vomiting was less in cats receiving a synbiotic, the difference was not statistically significant. Bacterial diversity decreased significantly on days 26–28 in both treatment groups. Decreases in Actinobacteria (Bifidobacterium, Collinsella, Slackia), Bacteriodetes (Bacteroides), Lachnospiraceae (Blautia, Coprococcus, Roseburia), Ruminococcaceae (Faecilobacterium, Ruminococcus), and Erysipelotrichaceae (Bulleidia, [Eubacterium]) and increases in Clostridiaceae (Clostridium) and Proteobacteria (Aeromonadales, Enterobacteriaceae) occurred in both treatment groups, with incomplete normalization by days 631–633. Derangements in short-chain fatty acid, bile acid, indole, sphingolipid, benzoic acid, cinnaminic acid, and polyamine profiles also occurred, some of which persisted through the terminal sampling timepoint and differed between treatment groups. Discussion Cats administered clindamycin commonly develop AAGS, as well as short- and long-term dysbiosis and alterations in fecal metabolites. Despite a lack of differences in clinical signs between treatment groups, significant differences in their fecal metabolomic profiles were identified. Further investigation is warranted to determine whether antibiotic-induced dysbiosis is associated with an increased risk of future AAGS or metabolic diseases in cats and whether synbiotic administration ameliorates this risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline C Whittemore
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
| | - Jennifer E Stokes
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
| | - Nicole L Laia
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
| | - Joshua M Price
- Office of Information Technology, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
| | - Jan S Suchodolski
- The Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States of America
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Stokes JE, Price JM, Whittemore JC. Randomized, Controlled, Crossover trial of Prevention of Clindamycin-Induced Gastrointestinal Signs Using a Synbiotic in Healthy Research Cats. J Vet Intern Med 2017; 31:1406-1413. [PMID: 28755457 PMCID: PMC5598878 DOI: 10.1111/jvim.14795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Synbiotics often are prescribed to limit antibiotic‐associated gastrointestinal signs (AAGS) in cats, but data to support this recommendation are lacking. Objective To determine whether synbiotic co‐administration mitigates AAGS in healthy research cats treated with clindamycin. Animals 16 healthy research cats. Methods A randomized, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled, 2‐way, 2‐period, crossover study with a 6‐week washout was performed. Each study period consisted of a 1‐week baseline and a 3‐week treatment period. Cats received 75 mg clindamycin with food once daily for 3 weeks, followed 1 hour later by either 2 capsules of a synbiotic or placebo. Food consumption, vomiting, fecal score, and completion of treatment were compared using repeated measures split plot or crossover designs with covariates, with P < 0.05 considered significant. Results Cats that received the synbiotic were more likely to complete treatment in period 1 (100% vs. 50%, P = 0.04). Cats vomited less when receiving the synbiotic but this was not significant, but there were significant period effects (F‐value = 11.4, P < 0.01). Cats had higher food intake while receiving the synbiotic (F‐value = 31.1, P < 0.01) despite period effects (F‐value = 8.6, P < 0.01). There was no significant effect of treatment on fecal scores, which significantly increased over time (F‐value = 17.9, P < 0.01). Conclusions and Clinical Importance Administration of a synbiotic 1 hour after clindamycin administration decreased hyporexia and vomiting in healthy cats. Additionally, significant period effects suggest that clinical benefits of synbiotic administration persist for at least 6 weeks after discontinuation, decreasing the severity of AAGS in cats that subsequently received clindamycin with placebo. Unlike in people, synbiotic administration did not decrease antibiotic‐associated diarrhea.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Stokes
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
| | - J M Price
- Office of Information Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
| | - J C Whittemore
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
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Affiliation(s)
- Marge Chandler
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
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Hart ML, Suchodolski JS, Steiner JM, Webb CB. Open-label trial of a multi-strain synbiotic in cats with chronic diarrhea. J Feline Med Surg 2012; 14:240-5. [PMID: 22412160 DOI: 10.1177/1098612x11434386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
This study was designed to test the hypothesis that in cats with chronic diarrhea the daily administration of a proprietary synbiotic (Proviable-DC) would result in an improvement in stool character, as assessed by the owner. Adult cats with chronic diarrhea were recruited for the study and screened for systemic diseases. Fecal flotation, wet mount, immunofluorescence assay (IFA) for Giardia and Cryptosporidium species, and Tritrichomonas species polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) were used to screen for intestinal parasitism. The synbiotic was administered for 21 days; otherwise, no changes were made to ongoing treatment(s) or diet. The severity of the diarrhea was assessed using a standardized fecal scoring system and the owner's subjective perception before, and after, supplementation. The mean fecal score for the 53 cats completing the study decreased from 6.0 to 4.4, representing a significantly (P <0.001) firmer stool character. Seventy-two percent of owners perceived an improvement in their cat's diarrhea following a 21-day course of synbiotic supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcia L Hart
- Colorado State University, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, 300 West Drake Road, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
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10
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Lane EP, Miller S, Lobetti R, Caldwell P, Bertschinger HJ, Burroughs R, Kotze A, van Dyk A. Effect of diet on the incidence of and mortality owing to gastritis and renal disease in captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in South Africa. Zoo Biol 2011; 31:669-82. [PMID: 22083933 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.20431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2010] [Revised: 09/30/2011] [Accepted: 10/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Seventy-two adult cheetahs were evaluated for the degree of gastritis by endoscopic biopsy and for renal disease by serum creatinine. Cheetahs free of Grade 3 gastritis and renal disease were placed on Trial A; remaining cheetahs were placed on Trial B, which ran concurrently. All cheetahs were monitored for 4 years. Cheetahs exited Trial A and entered Trial B if they developed Grade 3 gastritis or renal disease. Cheetahs exited Trial B if they developed clinical gastritis or renal disease that required a dietary change or aggressive medical therapy or died owing to either disease. Cheetahs on Trial A were fed either a supplemented meat diet (N = 26) or commercial cat food (N = 22). Cheetahs on Trial B were fed either the same meat diet (N = 28) or a commercial dry cat food formulated for renal disease (N = 16). Cheetahs fed meat on Trial A had a daily hazard of developing Grade 3 gastritis 2.21 times higher (95% CI 0.95-5.15) than cheetahs fed commercial cat food. This hazard was not statistically significant (P = 0.07). Mean gastritis scores were not significantly different between the two groups. Cheetahs fed commercial cat food in both Trials had lower serum urea levels and higher creatinine levels than those fed meat. Evidence for the effect of diet in cheetahs with gastritis and/or renal disease (Trial B) was inconclusive. The number of cheetahs dying of gastritis or renal disease at the facility has dropped markedly since the study began. These results indicate that diet may play an important role in the incidence of Grade 3 gastritis and that dietary and/or therapeutic management of gastritis may reduce mortality owing to gastritis and renal disease in captive cheetahs.
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Affiliation(s)
- E P Lane
- Research and Scientific Services, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.
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