Nutritional considerations

Abstract

When considering the health and welfare of any animal, the role of nutrition, with all of its gross and subtle ramifications, must be examined. Nutrition must be regarded as a continuum, beginning with selection, apprehension or gathering of food sources, initial processing, digestion, assimilation of nutritive constituents and, finally, elimination of non-nutritive fibre, waste products, mucus and senescent epithelial cells lining the alimentary tract. All of the bodily processes are linked in one way or another with nutrition. For instance, the immediate needs of the animal such as orderly growth and maintaining its cardiopulmonary, digestive, immune, haematopoietic, endocrine, reproductive and nervous system functions are but some of the vital processes that rely on an adequate intake and processing of metabolites. Even the psychic ‘health’ of a creature in captivity may, to a large part, be linked to the food that it is fed and the manner in which it is presented. Because moisture is intimately related to food processing, digestion, assimilation, faecal and urinary waste elimination, water consumption and its provision in a suitable manner must also be regarded. The condition of the food-gathering organs often determines the ability of an individual to bite and/or chew its fare, swallow a bolus of food and commence the initial and later processes of food digestion.