Improving the health of captive pandas

Improving the Health of Captive Giant Pandas

Donald Janssen 1, Bruce Rideout 1 & Zhang Zhizhe 2

1 Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
2 Research Base of the Giant Panda, Chengdu, China

Our objective was to develop a detailed list of all the health problems and disease causing agents known or suspected to affect giant pandas in captivity. Contributors included representatives from all the major institutions throughout the world which have giant pandas.

Complete Giant Panda Health Problem List
Clinical signs or Syndromes
Stunted growth syndrome
Juvenile malnutrition
Ascites Epistaxis
Conjunctivitis
Degenerative osteoarthritis
Nasal discharge
Coughing
Vomiting
Fluorosis
Gastrointestinal system problems
Chronic colitis
Allergic enterocolitis
Hemorrhagic enteritis
Mucus stool
Pseudomembranous colitis
Intestinal blockage
Bacterial enteritis
Hepatic cirrhosis
Volvulus
Rectal prolapse (associatedwith enteritis and/or intestinal blockage)
Respiratory/Cardiovascular problems
Pneumonia
Cardiomyopathy
Hypertension
Skin Ticks (and tick transmitted diseases)
Demodecosis
Candidiasis
Genitourinary system problems
Metritis/cervicitis
Mastitis
Testicular atrophy/hypoplasia
Cystic endometriosis/endometritis
Glomerulonephritis
Interstitial nephritis
Poor postpartum milk production
Etiologic agents
Canine Distemper Virus
Parvovirus
Coronavirus
Salmonella sp.
Campylobacter sp.
Toxoplasma gondii
Baylisascaris schroederi (ascarids)
Leptospira sp.
Balantidium coli
Mycobacterium sp.
Aspergillus sp.
Hemolytic Strep. sp. in neonates
Enterohemorrhagic E. coli
Hepatitis virus?
Neonatal Problems
Umbilical infections
Failure of passive transfer
Generalized bacterial infections
Prenatal infections
Maternal trauma
Congenital abnormalities
Idiopathic seizures/epilepsy
Eclampsia
DIC Neoplasia
Lymphomas
Testicular cancers
Leiomyomas
Squamous cell carcinomas
Abnormal dental wear

Logistical or methodological issues and needs

• Standardized medical records
• Standardized pathology protocols (systematic necropsies and histopathology in all animals)
•Archiving of tissues, serum, etc. for retrospective studies
• Standardized diagnostic approaches and laboratory procedures
• Paternity testing for population management
• Improved electronic communication
• Data sharing

A next requirement is to prioritize the health problems according to their impact on morbidity, mortality and reproduction, and according to the proportion of the population affected. Because these health problems impact certain age classes more than others, health issues were priotitized by age group affected as well. Once the list was prioritized, the key action steps needed to address the problems were identified. Finally, we identified the individuals and institutions that would take the lead in making sure steady progress is made with each action step.

Action Steps

Neonatal Infection/Failure of Passive Transfer
• Case definition needed
• Develop a bank of serum for neonatal immunoglobulin supplementation.
• Develop management strategies for twin swapping where it will work.
• Develop colostrum collection and storage techniques
• Explore other sources of colostrum from other carnivores (e.g. dogs[Beijing], bears, goats [Chengdu])
• Develop protocols for prophylactic antibiotics in high-risk and/or premature infants
• Collect basic information on immunoglobulin transfer from mother (or colostrum substitute) to neonate
• Need to define colostrum absorption ‘window’ specifically for giant pandas
• Need to understand the relation between health of mother (urogenital infection and gi disease) to prenatal infections
• Behavioral training of adults to collect samples in a non-invasive way.
• Responsible individuals: Montali (NZP), Zhang Zhihe (Chengdu), Hu Daming (Wolong)

Juvenile Stunted Growth Syndrome
• Case definition: CBSG Biomedical Survey rough outline, needs refinement
• List of possible causes (Differential Diagnosis)
• Epidemiological factors using standardized practices of medical and husbandry records, etc.
• Diagnostic plan
• Explore the possiblity of having a special task force meeting in China to work on this problem.
• Responsible individuals: CBSG, Janssen (USA), Zhang Chenglin (Beijing Zoo)

Adult Skin Disease
• Identify causes, parasites, etc.
• Determine appropriate treatments
•Responsible individuals: Beijing Zoo, Eric Miller (St. Louis), Pathologists

Adult Gastrointestinal Disease (infectious and non-infectious causes)
• Pool medical records from all institutions to develop case definitions.
• List of possible causes (Differential Diagnosis)
• Epidemiological factors using standardized practices of medical and husbandry records, etc.
• Diagnostic plan (gastrointestinal biopsies, identification of normal flora may be important)
• Compile a literature database for this and other disease problems (see nutrition/feeding bibliography http:/www.colyerinstitute.org)
• May be overlap with juvenile gastrointestinal diseases
• Needs multidisciplinary input (nutrition, pathology, clinical medicine)
•Responsible individuals: Incorporate in Juvenile Stunted Growth diagnostic meeting

Nutrition group (to be named)
Clinical medicine (Chengdu Zoo)
CBSG to help organize meeting

Other Issues:
• Epilepsy in older pandas (30% prevalance in Beijing in 1980’s * see paper in 1993 Panda conference)
• Request from D. Montali * documentation of cases of canine distemper, parvovirus, etc.
• Develop international electronic communication methods (e.g. listserve, email lists, etc.). Responsible individual: Meg Sutherland-Smith (ZSSD)
• Develop minimum standards for information collection and sharing for all institutions. This will be accomplished at a workshop to be held in China.
• Responsible institutions: All institutions will have an opportunity to participate.