Research overview: preventive medicine programs for captive felids

Modern zoos run structured preventive medicine programs for captive felids encompassing routine health monitoring, parasite control, vaccination, nutritional management, dental care, and increasingly the use of cooperative-care training so that procedures like blood draws, injections, and ultrasounds can be performed without anesthesia. These programs aim to detect and prevent disease early while minimizing the risks of repeated immobilization. This overview synthesizes the zoo-medicine literature rather than one citation, describing the components of preventive care for big cats, why training-based voluntary participation improves welfare and reduces anesthetic risk, and how record-keeping and surveillance support population health. It matters because proactive, low-stress preventive medicine is the foundation of keeping captive felids healthy across long lifespans, reflecting a shift from reactive treatment toward continuous welfare-centered husbandry.