Malnutrition and Starvation

• 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.

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.

• Malnutrition leading to starvation occurs because of poor quantity or quality food (e.g., drought), the animal may not be able to reach the source of food because of environmental factors (e.g., deep or hard crusted snow), or physical ailments prevent the animal from foraging or eating effectively (e.g., physical injury, poor teeth).

• Malnutrition and starvation may occur in any wildlife species.

• Malnutrition and starvation may 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 include:
  • Mammals
    • 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 – marrow from healthy animals is usually solid, white and waxy
    • muscle mass and organs may be shrunken or decreased in size
    • little food or food of poor quality may be found in the alimentary tract
       
  • Birds
    • the breast bone or keel, will be sharply demarcated from the surrounding breast muscle

• Meat from starving or malnourished animals is suitable for human consumption but may be of poor quality.

Samples for Diagnosis

• Appearance at post-mortem, confirm with visual findings. Any long bone (e.g., femur) that normally contains marrow can be broken open to examine marrow.

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

Elkin, B, and R. L. Zamke. 2001. Common wildlife diseases and parasites in Alaska. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Anchorage, AK.

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