Few breeders would ever like
to admit it, but most of them have produced rabbits with teeth that do not meet properly and so become overgrown. The normal solution for this problem is to cull that particular family line from the stud as it is
generally believed that this fault is genetic in nature. But is this really true?I would like to propose an alternative cause not enough available calcium in the diet. We are all aware of the
important role that calcium plays in bone formation. Mis-alignment of teeth is frequently caused by small abnormalities in the formation of the jawbones. Insufficient calcium in the milk can leave very young rabbits
with such soft bones at the front of the mouth that even the simple act of suckling can distort them. Once the deformation has occurred the problem is irreversible. Only regular trimming of teeth will enable the animal
to live a normal life.
So how might we stop this problem? Prior to birth your does store as much calcium as possible in their bones. When lactation starts the calcium is removed from the bones and taken to the
mammary glands by the blood stream. At least three things can easily interfere with this process.
Firstly, if the doe's bones are not well filled with calcium they will be unable to provide the required
supply. To overcome this problem we simply need to provide a very effective calcium supplement to our does prior to giving birth.
The second problem is associated with a failure of the bodys normal mechanisms to
quickly and efficiently transfer the calcium from the bone to the blood stream. Lack of vitamin D in the diet or hormonal problems in the animal (possibly genetic) can be the cause of this problem.
Strangely this problem of removal of calcium from the bones can also be caused by an over supply of calcium in the diet. Provision of calcium to the pregnant doe every
day means that the animal is not forced to remove calcium from the bones during the pre-natal period. When lactation starts and the demand for calcium rises dramatically the bones often will not respond due to lack of practice. The doe will suffer all the normal signs of calcium related problems.
But there is a simple solution to this problem. Providing a once a week supply of Dr Squiggles Calcivet to all pregnant does will both ensure that the bones are filled with calcium but also exercise
the bodys ability to move calcium in and out of the skeleton.
As soon as lactation starts Calcivet should be provided 3-5 times a week.
Dr Squiggles Calcivet
is a unique product that, as closely as possible, mimics the availability of calcium in the wild rabbits diet. Conventional mineral calcium supplements are both difficult to dissolve within the animals gut and difficult to absorb. In
Calcivet
the calcium itself is fully dissolved. It is also linked to a sugar molecule, which is similar to the form in which it will be found in most green foods. This sugar molecule greatly enhances the absorption of the calcium across the gut wall and into the blood stream.
Calcivet also contains vitamin D for efficient uptake of this vital mineral.
Two other problems can be caused by insufficient available calcium in the diet. It stands to reason that if your jaw bones can be too
soft then the same can happen to other bones in the body. Any sign of bone deformation such as bent legs are likely to be by insufficient calcium in the diet of the young growing animals.
But calcium is not
only involved in bones. It has a major role to play in both nerves and muscle function as well. Two groups of animals can suffer easily from these problems. The first is lactating does and the second is young
animals that have nearly reached full size.
Lactating does will have a problem if they are requiring more calcium for their milk than the bones are prepared to provide. In these circumstances the doe may
remove calcium form other organs in her body. This causes malfunctions of nerves and muscles, which leads to a number of different responses. The animal may be more nervous than usual. Her ability to co-ordinate her
movements may be restricted. She may even have trouble standing up or walking around. These problems will be caused either by insufficient calcium in the diet or, rather strangely as mentioned earlier, by
provision of calcium too frequently, such as seven days a week prior to lactation. This is why we never suggest Calcivet for seven days a week.
When young animals approach their full size they
pump large amounts of calcium into their bones as a final solidifying process. We sometimes see animals with insufficient dietary calcium where the bones take up most of the calcium that is eaten, starving the nerves
and muscles of this vital mineral. These young animals may also show signs of nervousness, discoordination and an inability to stand, hop or feed properly. Calcivet
provides a rapidly available supply of calcium to rectify this problem in a few days. These nerve and muscle calcium problems are far more common than most fanciers recognise. In these circumstances calcium is working in conjunction with another mineral, magnesium. That is why
Dr Squiggles Calcivet also contains magnesium.
