A brand new examine revealed within the February concern of The Veterinary Journal means that rabbits could receive a gradual supply of calcium by ingesting the advantageous powder ensuing from the pure grinding of their constantly rising tooth.
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 might function a calcium supply, researchers performed a two-week feeding experiment on eight feminine European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). The rabbits have been fed meals pellets containing both a regular calcium complement or ground-up rabbit tooth. Evaluation of fecal samples revealed that rabbits on the tooth-powder weight-reduction 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 straight observe rabbits swallowing their very own tooth fragments, nor did it measure tooth loss throughout the experiment. Nevertheless, the findings counsel that the advantageous powder produced by the pure grinding of their tooth could present a steady inner supply of calcium, doubtlessly decreasing the necessity for exterior calcium sources of their weight-reduction plan.