choloepus health FAQ
 note: S.O.S. does not provide medical advice please read and have your animal
chronic renal disease, mineralization and nutrition 

Ongoing research, peer-reviewed literature, and reviews of both historical and active medical cases in managed care consistently demonstrate that two-toed sloths (Choloepus spp.) have exceptionally low requirements for vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus relative to most mammals. Within their natural range, Choloepus are primarily folivorous, consuming diets composed almost entirely of leaves and other plant material, with minimal exposure to calorie-dense or highly fortified foods such as fruit or animal matter.

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Due to these low physiologic requirements, Choloepus are particularly vulnerable to nutritional excess when provided diets containing levels of vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, protein, or carbohydrates that exceed their metabolic capacity. Commercial primate diets, dog foods, eggs, dairy products, and other fortified or prepared feeds contain nutrient concentrations that surpass safe thresholds for sloths. Chronic overexposure may result in abnormal mineral deposition within soft tissues, disruption of normal organ architecture and metabolic processes, and progression to organ dysfunction or failure. Renal disease, cardiovascular pathology, and gastrointestinal complications are among the most commonly observed sequelae associated with excess vitamin D, calcium, and phosphorus intake. Elevated dietary carbohydrates may further disrupt normal gastrointestinal microflora, negatively affecting digestion and nutrient absorption.

Sloth physiology is additionally influenced by poikilothermic tendencies, necessitating carefully regulated environmental temperature and humidity to support normal metabolic function and digestion. In this respect, sloths share physiologic features with both reptiles (temperature-dependent metabolism) and ruminants (specialized, fermentation-based digestion), highlighting the importance of highly specific dietary and environmental management.

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Recommended Actions

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• Review diets to identify components that are:

  • Excessively high in vitamin D, calcium, or phosphorus

  • Excessively high in carbohydrates or protein

• Review husbandry parameters to ensure temperature and humidity align with USDA and Science of Sloths (SoS) recommendations

  • USDA guidance: https://usbiotechnologyregulation.mrp.usda.gov/sites/default/files/housing-two-toed-sloths.pdf

• Consider anesthetized veterinary examinations, as appropriate, to:

  • Collect blood samples

  • Perform diagnostic imaging

  • Evaluate current metabolic and organ health

  • advanced imaging 

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