Page 128 - Zoo Animal Learning and Training

112 Tasks for the Veterinary Assistant

Appropriate nutrition for any animal is composed of While all these nutrients are required, they are not
the essential components that make up a healthy diet. required in equal amounts. Water is required in the
The availability and demand for these nutrients depends greatest quantity. An animal can go without eating for 2
on three factors: the ecological niche of the animal, weeks without serious damage to the body but it can only
the animal’s metabolism, and the amount of stress the live for 3 days without water. Water is essential for trans-
animal is undergoing at any one time. porting the molecules, is a component in most chemical
The ecological niche is determined by the forage and reactions in the body, and acts as a solvent for other mol-
feed available and the anatomic and physiologic adapta- ecules. Absence of adequate water in the body is called
tions of the animal to utilize the food as well as the dehydration. Without water the kidneys do not filter well
resources and competitors in the environment. For and toxins build up creating damage to other organs.
example, herbivores or grazing animals like cattle, Eventually, the kidneys will shut down entirely and it is
sheep, and goats have adapted their digestive systems to just a matter of hours before full organ failure follows.
deal with the low nutritional value of grass on which they
feed. Ruminants have four‐compartment stomachs.
Horses have large cecums where the breakdown of the
cellulose in plants occurs making them herbivores too. Learning Exercise
Other animals have adapted monogastric stomachs and Utilize the internet to find the daily water require-
the dental formations to handle the types of foods to ments for dogs, cats, horses, cows, sheep, goats,
which they have access. For example, carnivores like pigs, rabbits, and the pocket pets. Draw up a ta-
cats, dogs, and ferrets have large canine teeth with which ble to keep as a reference point.
to tear meat from bones. Pigs and chickens are adapted
to gaining their nutrition from both plants and meat;
they are omnivores.
Metabolism is the process by which an animal processes Energy production requires three sources of nutri-
food into energy to run the cellular processes, the ents; carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These are mea-
conversion of nutrition into building blocks such as pro- sured in calories. Calories from food provide energy in
teins, fats, acids, and carbohydrates, and the elimination of the form of heat so the bodily functions can be carried
waste. In the animal world, the smaller the body the higher out. Carbohydrates and proteins produce 4 kilocalories
the metabolic rate. Metabolism in all animals changes as per of energy per gram. Fat produces 9 kilocalories per
the animal ages. Younger animals have higher metabolic gram. Even though carbohydrates and proteins are equal
rates and different nutritional requirements from adults. in kilocalories, they are not equal in metabolism.
As they mature, adults will require different nutrition to Carbohydrates are quickly digested and absorbed, cre-
compensate for a slowing down of their metabolism. ating almost instant energy. If the body doesn’t need that
Stress will also change the nutritional requirements of energy right away it is converted to fat and stored in fat
an animal. This includes work performed, environment cells and as glycogen that is stored in the liver and
in which it is performed, lactation, growth, changes in muscle. Carbohydrates come from anything that grows
environment, and states of health. For example, a horse in the ground: grass, vegetables, grains (corn, wheat,
that does endurance racing will need more water, carbo- millet, oats), rice, and trees. If carbohydrates are not
hydrates, and proteins to fuel its body than a horse that available, the body will use protein and fat for energy.
stands in a pen and is only ridden on the occasional Protein takes longer to be broken down and absorbed
weekend. An animal that is ill has different nutritional but will provide energy for 2–4 hours; it is used until
needs from a healthy animal. gone. This is the difference between the instant energy
carbohydrates provides and the long‐term energy pro-
tein provides. Protein is essential in the diet because the
Essential Nutrients – body is virtually made of protein. Protein makes enzymes
that power the chemical reactions in the body such as
The Basics hemoglobin which carries oxygen in the blood. Protein
comes from 20 amino acids, not all of which are essential
Nutrients are absorbed from the food an animal ingests to every species. One such amino acid is taurine which is
in the gastrointestinal tract. Enzymes and bacteria break essential for cats and is only available from meat. L‐carni-
down large molecules of food into simple molecules so tine is produced from the amino acids lysine and methi-
that these can be absorbed through the intestinal wall. onine, and has a role in the production of energy by
The simple molecules are water, carbohydrates, proteins, transporting fatty acids into cell mitochondria. This
fats, minerals, and vitamins. These molecules are picked burns these fats within the cell to create usable energy.
up by the capillaries in the intestinal wall and are carried Bodies do not store amino acids and so they must be
through the body to maintain body functions. consumed for use. Proteins are found in meat; beef,