Everyone knows how important it is to get enough calcium in your diet. After all, it’s essential for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth. Dairy products, leafy greens, legumes, nuts, and tofu are great sources of calcium for people looking to increase their intake.
Rabbits, however, may have another calcium source that’s far more surprising. According to new research, they can actually get calcium by eating their own teeth.
Yes, you read that correctly, though it’s not as dramatic as it sounds. Just like the teeth of beavers, squirrels, and kangaroos, rabbit teeth grow continuously, so they need to constantly wear them down. Fibrous vegetables like carrots are particularly good for grinding the teeth, resulting in a fine powder.
A new study from Swiss and Finnish researchers suggests that this powder could be the key to fueling tooth growth without the need for additional calcium in their diet. The researchers think that rabbits swallow and digest this powder, which is then reabsorbed into their bodies, thus helping their teeth continue to grow.
The researchers tested their theory by giving European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) either calcium supplements or supplements made with rabbit tooth powder. They found that the rabbits were able to absorb calcium from both sources, though the tooth powder had the slight edge over the standard calcium supplements.
My, what big teeth you have:
- By analyzing rabbit feces, the researchers found that the animals digested 33% of the calcium from tooth powder, compared to 20% from supplements.
- Notably, the study doesn’t actually prove that rabbits consume their ground-down teeth (though this is highly likely), but it does indicate that their bodies have the ability to successfully reabsorb the calcium lost in the grinding process. Further research is needed to find out just how much calcium rabbits need to sustain tooth growth and whether the teeth-grinding/powder-eating loop is sufficient for this.
- The research has the most relevance for the diets of pet rabbits, as they are typically given calcium-rich feed to eat. These findings suggest that they may not need so much dietary calcium, especially as this can cause problems for pet rabbits with kidney problems that aren’t able to excrete excess calcium in their urine.
