Digestive Tract of Dog

Hello!
I am Dr. Preethi Sudarshanie
Dassanayake (B.V.Sc., M.Sc., MBA)
Consultant Veterinary Surgeon from Sri
Lanka.

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Main functions of the digestive tract

⊚ Breakdown of ingested foods.

⊚ Absorption of nutrients.

⊚ Removal of waste.

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Digestive tract
True digestive organs Accessory digestive organs
• Teeth.
• Mouth.
• Tongue.
• Pharynx (part of).
• Salivary glands.
• Oesophagus. • Liver.
• Gallbladder.
• Stomach.
• Pancreas.
• Intestine.
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1. Oral cavity
Composed of mouth, teeth and tongue.
Oral cavity proper
⊚ Dorsal: hard and soft palate.
⊚ Ventral: tongue and adjacent tissues.
⊚ Anterior and lateral: teeth and lips.

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Mouth
⊚ Visible in the lower and front of the face.
⊚ Referred to the entire area between the upper and lower
jaws.
⊚ Dorsally : hard & soft palate.
⊚ Laterally & anteriorly: by teeth & lips.
⊚ Ventrally : by the tongue.
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Functions of mouth
⊚ Supports drinking & swallowing.
⊚ Killing prey.
⊚ Supports vocalization.
⊚ Panting.
⊚ Additional way to enter air during exercise.

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Tooth
• Enamel.
• Dentin.
• Pulp.
• Cementum.
Periodontal ligament
connects root to the bony
socket of jaw.

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Types of teeth

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Functions
⊚ Incisors: stripping meat, nibbling & grooming coat.
⊚ Canines: holding objects in the mouth & puncturing.
⊚ Premolars: tearing & chewing.
⊚ Molars: crushing and grinding prey.

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Carnassial tooth

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Carnassial tooth
⊚ Upper carnassial tooth- Maxillary 4th premolar (meat
cutter).
⊚ Lower carnassial tooth – mandibular 1st molar.
⊚ Together acts as a pair of scissors.
⊚ They cut meat from prey.
⊚ Referred as Shearing teeth.
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Tooth eruption
⊚ Deciduous ⊚ Permanent
Incisors: 4 to 6 weeks. Incisors: 3 to 5 months.
Canine: 5 to 6 weeks. Canine: 4 to 6 months.
Premolar: 6 weeks. Premolar: 4 to 5 months.
Dental formula (28). Molar: 5 to 7 months.
3 1 3 Dental formula (42).
3 1 3 3 1 4 2
3 1 4 3
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Salivary glands
⊚ Saliva is synthesized and secrete from salivary glands.
⊚ The basic secretory unit is the acinus.
⊚ Each acinus can be serous- secretes watery fluid.
⊚ Mucus – secretes mucus fluid.
⊚ Fluids released to small collecting duct.

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Serous and Mucus secreting cells
⊚ Serous secreting cells stained in pink.
⊚ Mucus secreting cells stained in pale pink.

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Salivary collecting ducts.
⊚ Within the duct, Na reabsorbed actively.
⊚ K secretes to the duct.
⊚ Bicarbonate ions secrete to the duct.
⊚ Small collecting ducts open to large duct.
⊚ Large ducts open into a single large duct.
⊚ It empties saliva in to the oral cavity.
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Salivary secretion controlled by
autonomic nervous system.
Salivary glands
• Parotid –serous.
• Mandibular –serous+
mucous
• Sublingual -mucous
• Zygomatic

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Functions of saliva
⊚ Supports chewing and
swallowing.
⊚ Supports bolus formation.
⊚ Moisturize mouth.
⊚ Antibacterial effect.
⊚ Supplies Ca & P.
⊚ Dissolve food & makes
easier to taste food.
⊚ Wash away food debris and
microorganisms from mouth.
⊚ Analgesic effect.
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Tongue
⊚ Extends from posterior ⊚ Support in obtaining food.
attachment basihyoid bone to ⊚ Chewing.
its free end at front of the ⊚ Taste food.
jaw. ⊚ Supports swallow food.
⊚ Found in the floor of the
mouth.
⊚ Muscular structure.

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Functions of tongue
⊚ Thermoregulation.
⊚ Use for self-grooming.
⊚ Lapping up water.
⊚ Influences vocalization.
⊚ A greeting tool.
⊚ Obtaining food, chewing & swallowing.
⊚ Taste food (Human taste buds-9000, Dog-1700)

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2. Pharynx
“ ⊚ Pharynx is a musculo-
membranous, funnel shaped
passage that connects the oral
cavity with the esophagus and
the nasal cavity with the
larynx”.

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Pharynx - functions

⊚ Supports swallowing food and water.

⊚ Equalization of ear pressure.

⊚ Passage of water and food into esophagus.

⊚ Common for respiratory and digestive tract.

⊚ Humidifies inhaled air. 25

PHARYNX
Divided by the soft
palate in to:
• Nasopharynx.
• Oropharynx.
• Laryngopharynx.

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Oropharynx
⊚ Is the caudal part of the oral cavity.
Boundaries :
Dorsal: ventral aspect of the soft palate.
Ventral: by the root of the tongue.
Laterally: by the tonsillar fossae.
in the tonsillar fossae contain 2 palatine tonsils.
in the base of the tongue contain lingual tonsils.

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3. Esophagus
Connects pharynx to stomach & the least complex part of
the digestive tract.
“ ⊚ Esophagus conveys food
boluses from the oropharynx to
stomach. No digestion & No
absorption”

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Esophagus
⊚ Arises as an extension of the pharynx in the distal part of
the oral cavity.
⊚ Extends down the neck through the thoracic cavity.
⊚ Penetrates the diaphragm.
⊚ Then open in to the stomach.

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Structures of the esophagus
⊚ Upper esophageal sphincter (UES) – cricopharyngeus &
thyropharyngeus muscles and cricoid cartilage.
⊚ Body of the esophagus.
⊚ Lower esophageal sphincter (LES) – outer longitudinal
muscle layer & inner smooth muscle layer.

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“ ⊚ Both UES & LES remain closed
at all times , except to allow
passage of food bolus.
Furthermore, LES prevents
reflux of stomach contents in to
the esophagus.”

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Esophagus
⊚ Inner most –Mucosa (tunica mucosa)- composed of
keratinized stratified squamous epithelium.
⊚ Submucosa (tunica submucosa) – composed of blood
vessels, lymphatic, nervous & connective tissues with
esophageal mucus secreting glands (for lubrication).

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Esophagus
⊚ Muscularis mucosa (tunica muscularis)- formed by two
layers of skeletal muscles. Together formed apolar
screw-like fascicles that runs in opposite directions.
⊚ Outer most adventitia (tunica adventitia).

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Deglutition
Passing food from the mouth,
pharynx and esophagus to the
stomach.

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Deglutition

Oral Pharyngeal Esophagus

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Oral phase
⊚ Starts in the mouth.
⊚ Food mixed with saliva (lubrication of food).
⊚ food bolus placed on the distal part of the tongue
(voluntary process).
⊚ Mouth closes & soft palate rises (to close the
passageway between nasal & oral cavities).
⊚ Tongue rolls backward & propels food bolus into the
oropharynx.

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Pharyngeal phase
⊚ Respiration is inhibited for a moment.
⊚ Larynx rises & close the glottis.
⊚ Pressure develop in mouth &pharynx.
⊚ Pushes food bolus towards esophagus.
⊚ UES relaxes .
⊚ Food pass into the esophagus.
⊚ UES then close & prevent food reflux to mouth.

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Esophageal phase
⊚ Is the final phase of swallowing.
⊚ Larynx lowers & glottis open up.
⊚ Normal breathing resumes.
⊚ Peristaltic waves & pressure exerts from food boluses
leads progressive propulsion.
⊚ LES relaxes & food enters to the stomach.
⊚ ASAP it get closed and prevent food reflux to
esophagus.

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Thanks!
Any questions?

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Credits
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⊚ Photographs by Google image.

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