Small animal nutrition Flashcards
What are Rodentia?
Rodents, including the likes of rats, mice, capybara and more
What are elodontic teeth in rodents?
Open root dentition
Why do the incisors have thick enamel on the front but not the back?
This causes them to retain their chisel shape as they are worn down
What is behind the incisors?
Large gap, diastema
Do rodents have canines?
No, only a few molars at the back
What do they gnaw and chew with?
They gnaw with their incisors by pushing the lower jaw forward and chew with the molars by pulling the lower jaw backwards
What are Lagomorpha?
Rabbits, hares and Pikas
What do lagomorpha have extra in their dentition?
A second pair of incisors (peg teeth)
What are Lagomorpha in terms of food consumption?
Herbivorous grazers (prefer immature plants)
In terms of digestion, what are Lagomorpha?
Hindgut fermentors
Once food reaches the intestines what is it divided into?
- Non-usable, indigestible fibre is passed through the intestines and excreted.
- Soluble material enters the caecum.
What is the Caecum?
Site of bacterial fermentation
What happens during fermentation?
Vitamins are produced by the bacteria, and with microbial protein, are passed through the intestines and excreted
What is a caecotroph?
Digestible food formed in the caecum coated in a thick layer of protective mucus that is consumed after expulsion from the anus a second time
What should a rabbit’s daily diet be made up of?
85% hay, 10% (leafy) greens and 5% concentrate pellet
