International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
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through. Temperature can be checked by placing a small amount on the h<strong>and</strong>rearer’s wrist.<br />
Too hot or too cold is not good (esp. for digestion) <strong>and</strong> the cub may refuse to eat it. Warmed<br />
formula should be offered to the cub as soon as possible (i.e. before it cools). To keep formulas<br />
warm during feeding, feeding apparatuses (e.g. bottles, syringes) filled with formula, can be<br />
placed in a container of warm/hot water. Water must be prevented from entering the feeding<br />
apparatus (e.g. cap syringe ends etc.).<br />
It is very helpful to place labels on each container/jar of formula/food that state the formula’s<br />
name/type, dilution (e.g. Esbilac at 1: 1, 75% water : 25% Esbilac, 100% electrolyte solution<br />
etc.), which animal the diet is for, <strong>and</strong> the date <strong>and</strong> time that the formula/food was first prepared.<br />
This will help to avoid confusion about the formula/food’s content <strong>and</strong> if it is fresh or it needs to<br />
be thrown out because it was made longer than 24 hours ago.<br />
All feeding apparatuses (e.g. bottles, nipples, syringes, dishes, tube-feeding tubes) <strong>and</strong> utensils,<br />
containers, blender parts etc. used to prepare formulas (e.g. sieve, blender blades, spoons, jars)<br />
must be cleaned thoroughly after each feeding <strong>and</strong> after each time the formula is prepared.<br />
Formula/food storage containers should be cleaned routinely as well. Small round long-h<strong>and</strong>led<br />
brushes are needed to clean insides of tubes <strong>and</strong> bottle nipples etc., where milk can coagulate.<br />
(Even small milk deposits can support bacterial growth <strong>and</strong> hence cause contamination <strong>and</strong><br />
health problems such as diarrhea.) Hot clean water <strong>and</strong> soap should be used to clean items <strong>and</strong><br />
each item should be rinsed with clean hot water afterwards. Items should be left to air dry. All<br />
feeding apparatuses should be sterilized at least one time per day. Some items (e.g. glass tubes,<br />
rubber nipples, syringes) can be sterilized by boiling or disinfecting solutions can be used.<br />
Kitchen areas, counters, <strong>and</strong> all food preparation areas, storage containers, etc. should be kept<br />
clean. Using unclean feeding apparatuses, utensils, areas, etc. can cause cub sickness (i.e.<br />
diarrhea etc.).<br />
H<strong>and</strong>rearers should always wash their h<strong>and</strong>s before h<strong>and</strong>ling cubs or their food <strong>and</strong> feeding<br />
apparatuses. Also different clothing (i.e. clothing designated for cub care only) or cover<br />
clothing (e.g. lab coats, smocks) should be worn when h<strong>and</strong>ling cubs. Sick cubs should be<br />
isolated from healthy cubs. To avoid cross-contamination, h<strong>and</strong>rearer clothing, feeding<br />
apparatuses, cleaning tools, bedding material etc. that are designated only for use with sick cubs,<br />
should be used. These items should be cleaned <strong>and</strong> disinfected separately from items used for<br />
healthy cubs.<br />
Section 7<br />
Switching from Mother’s Milk to a Milk Replacer or One Milk Replacer to Another<br />
Formulas should be introduced <strong>and</strong> adjusted or changed according to the cubs’ needs <strong>and</strong><br />
how well they tolerate <strong>and</strong> thrive on the formulas. Critical: slow gradual change-overs<br />
should always be made from mother’s milk to substitute milk replacers (e.g. Esbilac TM etc.)<br />
<strong>and</strong>/or from one kind of milk replacer to another.<br />
Quick diet/formula switches can cause many problems; most especially common is diarrhea <strong>and</strong><br />
digestion failure, or rejection of the new diet (Kirk 1994). Only one dietary variable should be<br />
changed at a time, rather than several simultaneously (e.g. either formula concentration or<br />
addition of Lact-aid TM , but not both), <strong>and</strong> changes should only be made in small increments to<br />
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