Horse and Rabbit Hindgut Fermentation Flashcards
Where does the majority of fermentation occur in the horse?
Cecum and colon
How does material move through the equine gut, starting with the ileum?
Ileum, cecum, right ventral colon, left ventral colon, left dorsal colon, right dorsal colon, transverse colon
What is mixed with digesta and then where does the mixture go after the ileum of the horse?
Mixed with pancreatic inflow and mixed/stored in cecum, slowly released into colon
What happens in the ventral colon of the horse?
Pacemaker/neural activity in the area of the pelvic flexure causes the ventral colon to contract while still fermenting and mixing with secretions
What happens in the dorsal colon of the horse?
Final mixing/fermentation, absorption of VFAs
What happens in the small colon of the horse?
Dehydration of material, 30 L reabsorbed
What does NOT occur in the equine hindgut?
Hydrolysis of protein
How does rabbit fermentation differ from equine fermentation?
The majority of fermentation in the rabbit occurs in the cecum
What are cecotrophs?
Fermented material transported from cecum directly to anus, normally soft, are then eaten by rabbits to expose them to normal digestion by the stomach (Cecotrophy)
What type of diet does the rabbit rely on?
Low energy, low protein, high fiber diet
What do hard pellets from rabbits consist of?
Materials that cannot be utilized by the rabbit hindgut
What is the advantage to predigesting food before it makes it to the cecum?
Allows for immediate uptake of nutrients
