A brand new examine printed within the February challenge of The Veterinary Journal means that rabbits might get hold of a gradual supply of calcium by ingesting the high-quality powder ensuing from the pure grinding of their constantly rising enamel.
This discovering challenges the earlier assumption that rabbits primarily depend on calcium-rich meals, corresponding to leafy greens, to fulfill their mineral wants.
To research whether or not tooth put on might function a calcium supply, researchers performed a two-week feeding experiment on eight feminine European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). The rabbits had been fed meals pellets containing both a typical calcium complement or ground-up rabbit enamel. Evaluation of fecal samples revealed that rabbits on the tooth-powder food plan digested 33% of the calcium they consumed, in comparison with 20% for these on the usual complement. There was no vital distinction in water consumption, physique mass, or fecal output between the 2 teams.
The examine didn’t immediately observe rabbits swallowing their very own tooth fragments, nor did it measure tooth loss throughout the experiment. Nonetheless, the findings recommend that the high-quality powder produced by the pure grinding of their enamel might present a steady inside supply of calcium, doubtlessly decreasing the necessity for exterior calcium sources of their food plan.
