Comparative Medicine Branch, Division of Scientific Resources, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci. 2024 Jul 1;63(4):385-396. doi: 10.30802/AALAS-JAALAS-24-000019. Epub 2024 Apr 5.
Type of feed is an important consideration in herbivore colony management, yet limited studies report on the effects of diet on common conditions such as urolithiasis in guinea pigs. Urolithiasis is a well-documented cause of lower urinary tract disease in guinea pigs, with calcium carbonate uroliths reported as the predominant calculi formed in the guinea pig urinary tract. A calcium-rich diet has been suggested as a risk factor for of urolithiasis, with numerous commercially available guinea pig diets formulated for adults avoiding ingredients that are higher in calcium. Due to the high incidence of urolithiasis in our strain 13/N guinea pig colony, we conducted a prospective control study following the implementation of dietary changes aimed at improving overall urinary tract health and reducing risk factors for urolithiasis, thus improving colony welfare. A control group was kept on the original ad libitum alfalfa hay-based pellet diet with restricted loose timothy hay (control diet, 14 juveniles and 24 adults). An experimental group was placed on a portioned, 1 oz daily, timothy hay-based pellet diet with ad libitum loose timothy hay (experimental diet, 21 juveniles and 23 adults). Juveniles and adults were followed for a total of 14 and 26 wk, respectively. Longitudinal blood and urine samples were collected to evaluate blood chemistry and urinary parameters, along with weight and body condition scores to assess general health. Overall, dietary changes did not improve parameters associated with improved urinary tract health or reduced risk of urolithiasis; feeding strategy was not found to meaningfully affect calcium crystalluria, urine protein, urine specific gravity, or renal values. These data support alfalfa hay-based pellet or timothy hay-based pellet, when fed with loose timothy hay, as viable options and suggest that practices aimed at reducing dietary calcium by reducing pelleted diet portions are insufficient to mitigate risk factors for urolithiasis in guinea pigs.
饲料类型是草食性动物群体管理中的一个重要考虑因素，但有限的研究报告了饮食对常见疾病（如豚鼠尿石症）的影响。尿石症是豚鼠下尿路疾病的一个有据可查的原因，碳酸钙尿石被报道为在豚鼠尿路中形成的主要结石。高钙饮食被认为是尿石症的一个风险因素，许多市售的成年豚鼠饲料配方都避免使用钙含量较高的成分。由于我们的 13/N 豚鼠品系中尿石症的发病率很高，我们在实施饮食改变后进行了一项前瞻性对照研究，目的是改善整体尿路健康并降低尿石症的风险因素，从而提高群体福利。对照组继续使用最初的自由采食苜蓿干草基础颗粒饲料和限量的松散提摩西干草（对照饮食，14 只幼鼠和 24 只成年鼠）。实验组则采用每日 1 盎司的部分提摩西干草基础颗粒饲料和自由采食松散提摩西干草（实验饮食，21 只幼鼠和 23 只成年鼠）。幼鼠和成年鼠分别随访了总共 14 周和 26 周。收集了纵向血液和尿液样本，以评估血液化学和尿液参数，以及体重和身体状况评分，以评估整体健康状况。总的来说，饮食改变并没有改善与改善尿路健康或降低尿石症风险相关的参数；饲养策略并没有发现对钙结晶尿、尿蛋白、尿比重或肾脏值有明显影响。这些数据支持在给予松散提摩西干草的情况下，以苜蓿干草为基础的颗粒饲料或以提摩西干草为基础的颗粒饲料作为可行的选择，并表明通过减少颗粒饲料部分来降低饮食钙含量的做法不足以减轻豚鼠尿石症的风险因素。
