Rabbit Digestion

Question 1

Dental Problems

Answer 1

Insufficient fibre teeth do not grind down which leads to spurs. may lead to dental abscesses.

Question 2

Rodents
Hystricomorphs
Myomorphs
Scuiromorphs

Answer 2

Hystricomorphs
guninea pigs, chinchillas
Myomorphs
mice rats 
Scuiromorphs
chipmunks

Question 3

Small herbivore GIT tract

Answer 3

hindgut fermenters
faster GI transit time than other fermenters
food needs to be processed twice to gain maximal nutritional value called caecotrophy

rabbit and rodents cant vomit

large caecum and proximal and distal colon

sacculus rotundus found at the end of the ileum and rich in lymphoid follicles known as the ileocaecal tonsil

proximal colon have muscular contractions to separate fibrous and non fibrous food particles. indigestible fibre passed to the distal colon and digestible fibre passes to the caecum. fusus coli is a highly innervated vascular section of the colon which controls gut motility.

at the caecum fibre is broken down and fermented and converted to VFA produce caecotrophs high in vitamin B and K

3-8 hrs after eating caecum contracts to produce caecotrophs which digested in intestines to provide microbial protein B and K vitamins and fatty acids