Effects of diet structure adjustment on body weight gain and oral health of captive white kangaroos
Guan Hongmin
Li Junbao
Lei Fengyu
Zhang Minghui
Wang Zhaorui
Abstract：The study aims to investigate the effects of two different dietary structures on weight gain and oral disease prevention in captive white kangaroos,in order to identify a more suitable dietary structure for them.The experiment selected 10 healthy adult white kangaroos,which were randomly divided into two groups,with five kangaroos in each group.Group Ⅰ was fed a diet with a higher proportion of roughage,while Group Ⅱ was fed a diet with a lower proportion of roughage.The trial lasted for 21 days.The results showed that the apparent digestibility of crude protein in Group Ⅰ was significantly higher than that in Group Ⅱ(P<0.05).The dietary structure with an increased proportion of roughage(GroupⅠ)significantly increased the body weight of the white kangaroos,and the roughage intake remained at a high level without symptoms related to lumpy jaw disease.In contrast,the dietary structure with a reduced proportion of roughage(Group Ⅱ)led to a decrease in body weight,significant fluctuations in roughage intake,and one white kangaroo showed obvious swelling on the left cheek.Additionally,compared with the same period,the incidence of lumpy jaw disease in white kangaroos decreased during the trial.The study indicates that a dietary structure with a higher proportion of roughage is more suitable for captive white kangaroos,helping to improve their health and prevent the occurrence of oral diseases.
Keywords：White kangarooDiet structureRoughageCoarse jaw disease
Publication Date：2025-11-15
Online Publishing Date：2025-12-16(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 36-40 )