Leporine Digestive System

• • Rabbits, like horses, are classified as hindgut fermenters, meaning their digestive system ferments plant material in their hindgut.
• This hindgut fermentation mainly occurs in a specialized organ called the cecum.
• Unlike ruminants (like cows), the cecum in rabbits is located at the end of their digestive tract.
• Microbial fermentation within the cecum breaks down complex carbohydrates into simpler molecules the rabbit can absorb and utilize for energy. 
• To optimize this fermentation process, a rabbit's diet should be rich in high-quality fiber.
• This fiber acts as the rabbit's primary energy source and supports a healthy gut microbiome.
• After chewing and swallowing food, it travels through the upper digestive tract before reaching the colon and cecum.
• The colon separates the digestible and indigestible parts of the ingested food. The digestible portion is sent to the cecum for further breakdown through a process lasting at least four (4) hours. 
• The resulting product of cecal fermentation is coated in mucus and called cecotropes.
• Rabbits practice a behavior called coprophagy where they re-ingest these cecotropes to gain essential nutrients produced by bacterial breakdown.
• Rabbits are herbivores, meaning their primary diet consists of plant material.
• Rabbits are categorized as concentrate selectors due to their preference for high-fiber vegetation.