Jaguar (
Panthera onca)
Care Manual
44
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Table 12. Nutrient content, energy on
an as fed basis, all other nutrients on a dry matter basis, of 6 sample diets
compared to target nutrient levels described in Table 9
Nutrient
Average
Range
Target Range
1
Energy, kcal/g AS FED
1.45
1.28-1.82
-
Protein, %
56.62
50.67-64.67
20.0-30.0
Fat, %
33.49
25.02-41.05
9.0-15.0
Ash, %
7.44
5.47-9.64
NA
2
Linoleic acid, %
NA
3
NA
3
0.55
Vitamin A, IU/g
22.05
11.84-41.63
3.55-7.50
Vitamin D3, IU/g
NA
3
NA
3
0.25
Vitamin E, mg/kg
277.82
120.61-458.36
38
Vitamin K, mg/kg
NA
3
NA
3
1
Thiamin, ppm
NA
3
NA
3
5.5-5.6
Riboflavin, ppm
NA
3
NA
3
4.25
Niacin, ppm
NA
3
NA
3
45.5
Vitamin B6, ppm
NA
3
NA
3
2.5
Folic acid, ppm
NA
3
NA
3
0.75
Biotin, ppm
NA
3
NA
3
0.08
Vitamin B12, ppm
NA
3
NA
3
0.02
Pantothenic acid, ppm
NA
3
NA
3
6.25
Choline, ppm
NA
3
NA
3
2550
Calcium, %
1.81
1.33-2.14
0.29-1.08
Phosphorus, %
1.36
1.08-1.50
0.26-0.72
Magnesium, %
0.11
0.09-1.15
0.04-0.06
Potassium, %
0.89
0.40-1.06
0.40-0.52
Sodium, %
0.39
0.24-0.51
0.07-0.14
Iron, ppm
216.29
142.89-353.35
80
Zinc, ppm
120.37
133.52-125.20
60-75
Copper, ppm
13.09
10.55-14.59
5.0-8.8
Manganese, ppm
19.49
13.71-26.22
4.8-7.2
Iodine, ppm
NA
3
NA
3
2.2
Selenium, ppm
0.43
0.28-0.59
0.4
1
Target nutrient range
encompassing growth, pregnancy, lactation, and maintenance from Table 9.
2
Nutrient requirement not established.
3
Missing values in database thus composition could not be calculated.
Levels of several vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, B6, folate, choline, B12, biotin, D)
have not been calculated for most whole prey items or were not provided by the manufacturer for their
meat mix. Muscle meat and organs are a source of these nutrients. Deficiencies of these vitamins have
not been reported in jaguars.
Feeding Schedules: As with most carnivores, jaguars are not recommended to be fed together in the
same space. Feeding separately permits more accurate evaluation of food consumption and eliminates
risk of injury from other jaguars aggressively protecting their food (S. Johnson, personal communication,
2016).
Different food items, which provide a diet meeting known nutrient needs of domestic cats when fed in
combination, can be rotated and varied from day to day. The average nutrient content of items consumed
for one week should meet the cat nutrient requirements. Fasting for 24 hours without access to food is
part of the feeding management at some institutions. Per USDA #25 animals should not be fasted more
than two days per week (United States Department of Agriculture, 1998). See Table 13 for an example of
a feeding schedule that can be used for jaguars.
Table 13. Example of a possible
feeding schedule for jaguars
Ingredient
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Meat mix
X
X
X
X
X
Guinea pig
X
Rabbit
X
MiscPrey
(rats/mice,chicks/fish)
X
Shankbone
X
Chunk meat
X
X
X
X
X
X
Jaguar (
Panthera onca)
Care Manual
45
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Food preparation must be performed in accordance with all
relevant federal, state, or local laws and/or regulations (AZA
Accreditation Standard 2.6.1). Meat processed on site must be
processed following all USDA standards. The appropriate hazard
analysis and critical control points (HACCP) food safety protocols
for the diet ingredients, diet preparation, and diet administration
should be established for jaguar. Diet preparation staff should
remain current on food recalls, updates,
and regulations per USDA/FDA. Remove food within a maximum of 24 hours of being offered unless
state or federal regulations specify otherwise and dispose of per USDA guidelines.
6.3 Nutritional Evaluations
A retrospective study of jaguars held in AZA accredited institutions from 1982–2002 (Hope & Deem,
2006) provides an overview of disease prevalence in managed jaguars by age, sex, and body systems.
Overall, the most common causes of morbidity were found to be dental, gastrointestinal, integumentary,
and musculoskeletal diseases. The authors suggested hepatic lipidosis as the most frequently reported
liver problem, which may be linked to obesity in managed animals. Obesity is one nutritional disease that
is still commonly seen in managed jaguars. Maintaining no more than a moderate body condition would
be beneficial to managing animals with musculoskeletal diseases. Additionally, hand-raised jaguar cubs
are known to suffer from metabolic bone disease when not properly fed.
When possible, animals should be weighed to assess body condition and needs for diet changes. It is
recommended that jaguars be weighed at least four times a year. Depending on the bone structure, even
at a general ideal body weight for the species, the animal could be over or under weight. Consequently, it
is important to visually assess each animal as well. The recommended method for evaluating degree of
fatness for animals which cannot be readily palpated is visual body condition scoring. Body condition
scoring (BCS) systems provide a spectrum of fatness usually with 1–5 or 1–9 levels (BCS points). Nine-
point BCS systems are more specific and preferred
in domestic cats, dog, horses, and other species and
have been validated against direct and indirect objective measures of fatness (German
et al., 2006;
Henneke
et al., 1983; LaFlamme, 1997; Laflamme, 2005; Stevenson & Woods
,
2006). One advantage of
a 9-point BCS system is that scores of 4 (moderate low) and 6 (moderate high) serve as warning zones
where diet or management changes can be made to avoid ever reaching body conditions of increased
health risk (low 1–3 and high 7–9 scores). Weight measurements can provide the most specific measure
of change in fatness; however, BCS is recommended to be used in addition to weight to determine
appropriate target ranges and track animals when weights alone are not indicative of BCS. During
growth
and gestation, BCS can be particularly useful. BCS systems also do not require special equipment or
animal training, but scorer training is needed.
For this publication, a 9-point BCS scale draft for the jaguar using images collected from the internet
and other institutions has been proposed (see Appendix H). In a longitudinal study comparing lions,
tigers, and jaguars, mean percent body weight change per body condition score was 9 ± 1%. This is
comparable to the human body mass index (BMI) assessing “overweight” and “underweight” as
approximately 15% above or below the middle of the “normal” range. In this study, “high” and “low” would
fall 18% above or below the “moderate” body condition (Treiber
et al., 2010). It is recommended that
managed animals be maintained within the range of moderate body condition scores (4–6 on a 9-point
scale). More extreme body conditions are associated with increased health risks, poor reproductive
performance, and reduced longevity in domestic cats and dogs (Laflamme, 2005). Palpation and
transcutaneous ultrasound can provide a more accurate measure of fatness, and these should be used in
conjunction with weights to calibrate visual assessment if possible.
A fecal scoring chart specific to jaguars has not been previously published. In
the literature, 1–5
scales are described without a photo record. To minimize this subjective assessment, a scale with photos
is highly recommended. The chart in Appendix I should be used to provide consistency between
evaluators.
AZA Accreditation Standard
(2.6.1) Animal food preparation and
storage must meet all applicable laws
and/or regulations.