Research: Rabbits could take in calcium by grinding their very own enamel

A brand new examine revealed within the February challenge of The Veterinary Journal means that rabbits could receive a gentle supply of calcium by ingesting the nice 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 satisfy their mineral wants.

To research whether or not tooth put on may function a calcium supply, researchers carried out 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 regimen 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 straight observe rabbits swallowing their very own tooth fragments, nor did it measure tooth loss through the experiment. Nonetheless, the findings counsel that the nice powder produced by the pure grinding of their enamel could present a steady inside supply of calcium, doubtlessly decreasing the necessity for exterior calcium sources of their food regimen.