A brand new research revealed within the February challenge of The Veterinary Journal means that rabbits could acquire a gradual supply of calcium by ingesting the advantageous 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, comparable to leafy greens, to fulfill 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 have 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 important distinction in water consumption, physique mass, or fecal output between the 2 teams.
The research didn’t instantly observe rabbits swallowing their very own tooth fragments, nor did it measure tooth loss through the experiment. Nevertheless, the findings counsel that the advantageous powder produced by the pure grinding of their enamel could present a steady inner supply of calcium, doubtlessly decreasing the necessity for exterior calcium sources of their food regimen.