Nutrition

Question 1

Describe a chinchilla diet

Answer 1

Herbivores
Pelleted diet - 15% protein and low fat
High fibre requirements - lots of good quality hay
Eat Caecotrophs
VERY small quantities of fruit and veg - prone to diabetes

Question 2

What are chinchillas prone to?

Answer 2

Diabetes. Limit fruit and veg intake!

Question 3

Describe a rat/mouse diet

Answer 3

Omnivores
Pelleted food and small variety of ‘tit-bits’ e.g. biscuit
Should be fed from cricks or hoppers (upside down feeders)

Question 4

What should be avoided when feeding rats or mice?

Answer 4

Beware of overfeeding
Avoid fatty snacks e.g. sunflower seeds.
(obesity is a real problem in mice as don’t get near the same exercise as wild mice)

Question 5

Describe the hamster diet

Answer 5

Complete pelleted food - 18% protein
Prone to protein deficiency - should be supplemented with hard-boiled eggs, nuts, seeds, mealworms.
May give fruit/veg as treat, but avoid those with high moisture content.
Exhibit coprophagy

Question 6

What should you check for in regards to hamster food?

Answer 6

They tend to hoard their food so check bed and cage for old food - mould etc.

Question 7

What can a hamster do with its food if it feels stressed?

Answer 7

If it doesn’t think there is a safe place to leave its food, it will carry it in its pouches all the time.

Question 8

Describe the gerbil and Jird diet

Answer 8

Omnivores
Complete pelleted Gerbil food
Scatter or hide food to encourage foraging
Require 16% protein and 5% fat
Extra protein can be added by supplementing with seeds, nuts, hard-boiled eggs etc.
Small amount of fruit/veg - avoid high moisture content.

Question 9

Describe the ferret diet

Answer 9

Obligate carnivores
Digestive system is not designed to cope with more than 5% fibre
All meat diet is unsuitable as they require a calcium: phosphate ratio 1:1
Easier to feet commercial complete ferret pellets
Feed twice daily

Question 10

Describe the chipmunk diet

Answer 10

Omnivores
Commercial chipmunk or hamster mix
Supplement with protein source of hard boiled eggs or dog biscuits
Additional veg but be wary of hoarding

Question 11

What do guinea pigs need in their diet that rabbits don’t?

Answer 11

Vit C

Question 12

Describe the rabbit diet

Answer 12

Small amount of concentrated pellets (guide: 1 egg cup per kg of rabbit)
Ad lib access to hay or grass
Fresh Veg
Fruit tree branches for gnawing

Question 13

Describe the diet of snakes

Answer 13

Carnivores - get all the nutrients they need by eating their prey whole.
(some snakes are insectivores- they’re insect prey must be gut-loaded with calcium and vitamin D3; some snakes are fish-eating e.g. garter snakes - will require thiamine supplement)
Usually eat mice - pinkies , fuzzies, small mice, large mice, rats.
Start feeding after their first shed (at one week old) then once per week. Adult feeding varies.
Don’t forget ab lib fresh water
Should regularly weigh snakes

Question 14

How often should you feed snakes?

Answer 14

Corn snakes and king snakes - possibly mice everyday

Larger snakes and boas - rats or even rabbits every 2-3 weeks

Question 15

How can you tell if a snake is hungry?

Answer 15

Up at glass often
Moving around viv more than usual
Flicking tongue more than usual

Question 16

Describe the method for feeding snakes

Answer 16

*Don’t allow your hand to become associated with food! - use tongs
Present food head first
May warm food

Question 17

Lizard diets are highly variable between species. Give some examples

Answer 17

Geckos and skinks eat insects and mealworms dusted in calcium.
Monitor lizards tend to eat raw eggs, dog food or rats/mice.

Question 18

What insects are provided as food?

How can tell if appropriate size for your lizard?

Answer 18

Crickets
Locusts
Fruit flies
Mealworms 
Waxworms

• length of cricket should be no greater than the width of the lizards neck

Question 19

How often should lizards be fed?

Answer 19

Young lizard - about 2 times per day
Fast-growing lizards -about 3 times per day
Once growth slows, so does appetite
Some adult geckos may only need to be fed as little as twice a week

Question 20

What may be done to insects before feeding to lizards?

Answer 20

Dusted with Calcidust - vit d3 should also be supplemented

Gut loading - crickets are fed highly nutritious food, high in calcium and vitamins.

Question 21

Describe the tortoise diet

Answer 21

Must be varied in fibre, vitamins, minerals
Low in fat and protein.
Should be fed ad lib
*do not cut fresh grass -can cause colic

Wild plants e.g. dandelion leaves (plants that grow from bulbs tend to be poisonous!)
Leafy greens and veg - kale, cabbage, celery, carrot
(make sure to mix it up - too much broccoli or cabbage can cause goitre (iodine deficiency) )
Suitable flowers include dandelions, roses
A little fruit can be given on occasion
Can also feed tortoise pellets - can be supplemented with extra vit/min

Provide fresh water

Question 22

Describe the terrapin diet

Answer 22

Omnivores
Largely eat fish and aquatic invertebrates
Only eat in water - messy!
Fresh fish e.g. prawns, whitebait
Tinned dog or cat food, eggs, worms occasionally - cover with vit c supplements
Small insects, crustaceans etc
Suitable plants e.g. dandelion, watercress
Young terrapins should be fed everyday - as get older feed 2-3 times per week
Terrapin food should also be dusted with multivitamin and calcium powder to prevent calcium and vit d3 deficiencies. Generally dust 2-3 times per week.

Question 23

What should be supplemented in carnivorous chelonians?

Answer 23

Vit A and calcium

Lack of these can cause shell deformities and/or kidney damage

Question 24

Describe the avian diet

Answer 24

Dry seeds - majority of diet (if on seeds only, will become deficient in Vit A)
PLUS:
- minerals and vitamins e.g. cuttlefish block for Ca and Mineral block.
- Veg - e.g. spinach, corn, dandelions. no acidic fruit
- Fresh clean water
- Grit ( essential for seed eaters)
- can get species specific complete diet