PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Unnatural diet composition and frequent feeding regimes may play an aetiological role in the multiple diseases prevalent in captive cheetahs. This study investigated the responses of captive-born (hand-reared) cheetahs (n = 6) to a reduced feeding frequency schedule distinguished by offering larger quantities of food less frequently. The study cheetahs were fed four once-daily meals per week during the 3-week treatment period, followed by a 3-week control period in which they were fed two daily rations six days a week. Total weekly food intake was maintained throughout the study. Variations in behaviour, faecal consistency score (FCS), and faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentration were measured. Less frequent feeding resulted in higher FCS (p < 0.01) and locomotory behaviour (p < 0.05) among the studied cheetahs. Faecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentration demonstrated an initial acute stress response to the change in feeding frequency (p < 0.05) and subsequent adaptation. The results of the FCS analysis suggest that the more natural feeding pattern could have benefited the studied cheetahs\' gastrointestinal health without a significant behavioural or physiological stress response overall to the change in feeding frequency.
摘要：
不自然的饮食组成和频繁的喂养方式可能在圈养猎豹中普遍存在的多种疾病中起病因作用。这项研究调查了圈养的（人工饲养的）猎豹（n=6）对减少进食频率时间表的反应，其特征是减少了提供大量食物的频率。在3周的治疗期间，研究中的猎豹每周喂食4次，每天一次。随后是为期3周的控制期，每周6天每天喂他们两次口粮。在整个研究中保持每周总食物摄入量。行为的变化，粪便稠度评分（FCS），测定粪便糖皮质激素代谢产物浓度。在研究的猎豹中，较低的喂食频率导致较高的FCS（p<0.01）和运动行为（p<0.05）。粪便糖皮质激素代谢物浓度显示了对摄食频率变化（p<0.05）和随后的适应的初始急性应激反应。FCS分析的结果表明，更自然的喂养方式可以使研究的猎豹的胃肠道健康受益，而不会对喂养频率的变化产生明显的行为或生理应激反应。
