DIGESTION IN RABBITS
Digestion-mechanical and chemical processing of food in the gastrointestinal (digestive) tract is a complex process in which food is digested and assimilated by cells. During digestion, the macromolecules of food are converted into smaller molecules. This process is carried out with the help of digestive (hydrolytic) enzymes, then the processed food is absorbed through the intestinal wall and enters the body’s liquid media (blood and lymph). However, in rabbits, the digestion of food has its own characteristics, due to cecotrophy - eating cecotrophs (individual granules formed in the cecum). The rabbit’s digestive tract is not able to eﬀectively digest the cellulose of the plant food at its first pass, since it must undergo long-term processing by the intestinal microflora for full assimilation, and semidigested plants are eaten by animals.