Answer to Question #298969 in Psychology for sumaira aslam

Question

Why is fibre in the diet so important for rabbit health?

A-Fibre keeps the teeth and the digestive system healthy

B-Fibre keeps the teeth healthy and prevents rabbits getting cancer of the uterus (womb)

C-Fibre keeps the digestive system healthy and prevents rabbits getting cancer of the gut

D-Fibre keeps the teeth and nails healthy as they grow continuously

Answer 1

The importance of fibre cannot be underestimated in rabbit nutrition. Fibrous vegeatation is needed not only for a healthy gut, but also for wearing down the rabbit’s continually growing teeth. Like other herbivores, rabbits spend a great deal of time chewing plant matter so for pet rabbits, providing ample chewing opportunities is an important way to provide psychological enrichment. There are some new diets on the market currently which help ensure more comprehensive nutritional support for the rabbit’s specialized dietary needs.

The importance of fibre in rabbit health

Rabbits are anatomically and physiologically developed for a high fibre diet. Their teeth are designed for continuous wear from prolonged chewing, and their digestive process is perfectly suited for maximum nutrient absorption from low-nutrient vegetation. While it is possible for the rabbit to meet some nutritional needs with low fibre foods, the rabbit’s anatomy and physiology is such that longterm low dietary fibre levels can have detrimental effect on the rabbit’s health and wellbeing. As such, it is important that pet rabbits, and rabbits in a clinical environment are supported with adequate fibre levels and ample opportunities to chew.

Rabbits are crepuscular animals, being more active during dawn and dusk and they feed primarily during these hours. Rabbits are well adapted to living in environmrnts with sparse nutritional resources so they are attuned to choosing the most nutritious and succulent part of a plant on which to feed. Like most herbivores, rabbits must consume a large quantity of vegetation in order to meet their nutritional demands, but compared with other monogastric herbivores, rabbits ingest a significantly larger volume of vegeta relative to their size. Part of the reason for their large appetite is their high surface to bodyweight ratio which subsequently requires a greater relative supply of energy.

To meet energy needs, a rabbit eating a diet with a dry matter energy density of around 2300 kcal/ kg must eat at least 5–8% of its total bodyweight in feed each day (Jenkins, 1999).

Rabbits have developed a number of adaptations to deal with the physiological consequences of ingesting large volumes of vegetation. Each day, the rabbit spends a great deal of time chewing coarse fibres so it is no surprise that significant tooth wear occurs from masticatory abrasion. To avoid total tooth loss, the rabbit has aradicular hypsodont, or elodont, dentition which provides continuous eruption of tooth tissue from the root. As the teeth are constantly growing, overall health and wellbeing of the rabbit are critically dependent on dental attrition and this is facilitated by a diet high in coarse in fibre.

Different types of fibre play different roles in maintaining the rabbit’s GI health. Dietary fibre is produced by plants and is composed of polysaccharides similar in structure to carbohydrates. Fibre is generally classified according to its solubility, or its ability to absorb water. For example, insoluble fibre does not absorb much water and is metabolically inert but it is beneficial in that it softens and bulks up the stool and increases transit time through the intestine so that nutrients can be better absorbed.