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THE RABBIT’S NATURAL DIET
In their natural
habitat rabbits eat a range of grasses, weeds, leaves, and twigs and bark of shrubs,
bushes and trees.
SPECIAL
NEEDS OF RABBITS
| NEED |
DETAILS |
| Vitamin A, b-Carotene
& Vitamin E |
Even though b-carotene is the precursor of
Vitamin A, it has been speculated that the rabbit has a specific need for b-carotene in its diet. Supplementation of a diet containing
sufficient Vitamin A with b-carotene has been reported to improve
the breeding performance of rabbits. With
its role in the maintenance of epithelial tissues it is not surprising that deficiencies
in Vitamin A have a detrimental effect on fertility and foetal development, and may cause
eye lesions. Deficiencies of Vitamin E
manifest themselves in many areas (including muscular, reproductive, nervous and vascular
systems. Rabbits are particularly sensitive
to muscular dystrophy and reproductive failure due to Vitamin E deficiency. |
| Fibre |
The rabbit requires high levels of
fibre. Low levels of fibre often result
in gastrointestinal disturbances such as diarrhoea, caecal impaction, and may give rise to
behavioural problems. Rabbits get bored
easily and ideally should always be eating otherwise there is a tendency towards barbering
and hair pulling. Fibrous material is
necessary to keep the rabbits occupied and encourage appropriate jaw action, in order to
keep their continually growing teeth in trim. |
| Calcium & Phosphorus |
Rabbits have a
very unusual calcium metabolism. In cats and dogs, calcium absorption is regulated at gut
level (by parathyroid hormone (PTH) and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (a metabolite of
Vitamin D)), according to the body's requirements, and any excess is excreted via the
faeces. In rabbits, irrespective of requirements, calcium absorption appears to be
proportional to dietary calcium levels. Excess
calcium is excreted through the urine. Where dietary calcium levels are high, the urine
contains greater quantities of calcium precipitate, which is observed to mound on the
litter when the animal urinates. Depending
on conditions within the bladder this precipitate may also remain in the bladder as
'sludge' or form crystalline particles which continue to grow into uroliths, which can
result in discomfort and disease in pre-disposed animals. Dietary calcium must neither be
excessively high nor low (an excess may result in the formation of urinary stones, and a
deficiency causes osteomalacia, associated with poor tooth and bone calcification and
deformation). Both the calcium content of the diet and the Ca:P ratio are important, and
should be approximately 1.0% and between 1.5:1 and 2:1 respectively. |
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