|
Malnutrition and Starvation |
|
| |
| Risk Factors |
-
Malnutrition is the condition that occurs when a diet provides nutrients
in sub-optimal amounts.
-
Malnutrition occurs prior to starvation, which is simply the long-term
deprival of food and its adverse effects.
|
| Images |
|
Click on
images to enlarge. |
 |
 |
|
A moose in poor nutritional condition. |
Sections of leg bones from caribou showing depletion of fat stores
from left to right. |
|
| Distribution |
|
Geographic: |
-
Can occur in areas of food shortage brought upon by drought, heavy
snow-pack, etc.
|
|
Seasonality: |
-
Occurs most often during the winter when food sources are scarce or with
coexisting disease conditions.
|
|
| Mechanisms of Action |
-
Malnutrition leading to starvation occurs because of poor quantity or
quality of food (e.g., drought), the inability of an animal to
reach the source of food due to environmental factors (e.g.,
deep or hard-crusted snow), or physical ailments that
prevent the animal from foraging or eating effectively
(e.g., physical injury, poor teeth).
-
Malnutrition and starvation may occur in any wildlife species, and occur
more often among the very young, aged, weak or sick animals.
|
|
| Signs and Symptoms |
-
Animals are weak with
very little body fat.
-
Signs of malnutrition
and starvation in mammals include:
-
bones of the
shoulders, ribs, back-bone and hips protrude;
-
sunken eyes;
-
tucked up abdomens;
-
when butchering, a
lack of fat under the skin, around the heart, kidneys and other
organs and within the bone marrow;
-
bone marrow of
malnourished and starving mammals resembles a reddish jelly or
liquid in contrast to the marrow from healthy animals which
usually is solid, white and waxy;
-
muscles and organs may
be shrunken or decreased in size;
-
little food or food of
poor quality may be found in the alimentary tract.
|
| Meat Edible? |
-
Meat from starving or
malnourished animals is suitable for human consumption, but may be
of poor quality.
|
| Samples for Diagnosis |
-
Appearance at
post-mortem can be used for a tentative diagnosis, and confirmed by
breaking open any long bone (e.g.,
femur) that normally contains marrow to examine
extent of marrow depletion.
|
| Similar Diseases |
-
There is often a
pre-existing condition that make animals more susceptible to
malnutrition and starvation. A full post-mortem examination may be
required to identify
chronic
diseases that result in malnutrition or starvation.
|
| Further Reading |
|
|
|
|
