Division of Nutritional Sciences, Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
J Anim Sci. 2013 Jan;91(1):225-37. doi: 10.2527/jas.2011-4835. Epub 2012 Oct 9.
Our objective was to evaluate raw meat diets for captive exotic and domestic carnivores containing traditional and alternative raw meat sources, specifically, beef trimmings, bison trimmings, elk muscle meat, and horse trimmings. We aimed to examine diet composition and protein quality; apparent total tract energy and macronutrient digestibility in domestic cats, African wildcats, jaguars, and Malayan tigers; and ME and fecal fermentative end-products in domestic cats. Because of variation in the meat sources, dietary proximate, AA, and long-chain fatty acid composition were variable. Our analyses indicated that all diets had essential fatty acid deficiencies, and the elk diet (i.e., trimmed muscle meat) was deficient in total fat. Standardized AA digestibilities measured using the cecectomized rooster assay were high (>87%). Using the NRC minimum requirements for the growth of kittens, the first limiting AA of all diets was the combined requirement of Met and Cys (AA score: 81 to 95; protein digestibility corrected AA score: 75 to 90). All diets were highly digestible (88 to 89% OM digestibility). There was no effect of diet or felid species on DM (85 to 87%), OM, and GE (90 to 91%) digestibilities. Apparent CP digestibility was greater (P≤0.05) in cats fed elk (97%) compared with those fed bison (96%), and greater (P≤0.05) in wildcats (97%) and domestic cats (97%) compared with tigers (95%). The diet and species interaction (P≤0.05) was observed for apparent fat digestibility. In domestic cats, the fresh fecal pH and proportions of acetate and butyrate were altered (P≤0.05) due to diet. Diet also affected (P≤0.05) fresh fecal concentrations of total branched-chain fatty acids, valerate, and Lactobacillus genus. In conclusion, although the raw meat diets were highly digestible, because of variation in raw meat sources the nutrient composition of the diets was variable. Thus, compositional analysis of raw meat sources is necessary for proper diet formulation. The types of meat commonly used in raw meat diets may be deficient in total fat (trimmed muscle meat) and essential fatty acids (trimmings and muscle meats). Additionally, differences in raw meat source nutrient composition and digestibility affect the beneficial and putrefactive fermentative end-products found in feces.
我们的目的是评估含有传统和替代生肉来源的生肉饮食，特别是牛肉切块、野牛切块、麋鹿肌肉和马切块，用于圈养外来和国内肉食动物。我们旨在检查饮食成分和蛋白质质量；家养猫、非洲野猫、美洲虎和马来亚虎的表观全肠道能量和宏量营养素消化率；以及家养猫的 ME 和粪便发酵终产物。由于肉类来源的变化，饮食的近似值、AA 和长链脂肪酸组成是可变的。我们的分析表明，所有饮食都存在必需脂肪酸缺乏，而麋鹿饮食（即修剪的肌肉肉）缺乏总脂肪。使用去盲肠公鸡测定法测量的标准化 AA 消化率很高（>87%）。根据小猫生长的 NRC 最低要求，所有饮食的第一限制 AA 是 Met 和 Cys 的联合需求（AA 评分：81 至 95；蛋白质消化率校正后的 AA 评分：75 至 90）。所有饮食均具有高度可消化性（88 至 89% OM 消化率）。饮食或猫科动物种类对 DM（85 至 87%）、OM 和 GE（90 至 91%）消化率没有影响。家养猫摄入麋鹿的 DM （97%）消化率高于野牛（96%）（P≤0.05），野猫（97%）和家养猫（97%）高于老虎（95%）（P≤0.05）。在表观脂肪消化率方面观察到饮食和物种之间的相互作用（P≤0.05）。在国内猫中，由于饮食的原因，新鲜粪便的 pH 值和乙酸盐和丁酸盐的比例发生了变化（P≤0.05）。饮食还影响了新鲜粪便中总支链脂肪酸、戊酸盐和乳杆菌属的浓度（P≤0.05）。总之，尽管生肉饮食具有高度的可消化性，但由于生肉来源的变化，饮食的营养成分是可变的。因此，生肉来源的成分分析对于正确的饮食配方是必要的。生肉饮食中常用的肉类可能缺乏总脂肪（修剪的肌肉肉）和必需脂肪酸（切块和肌肉肉）。此外，生肉来源的营养成分和消化率的差异会影响粪便中有益和腐败发酵终产物。
