Dog Salivary Gland
If one of the ducts that conduct saliva from a salivary gland to the mouth is injured or obstructed, the saliva gradually accumulates, forming a pouch resembling early-stage mumps in people. Left untreated, it gravitates under the neck where it is unsightly though not life-threatening. Instead of pouching behind the jaw, some dogs gather saliva under the tongue, which is displaced to one side. This variation is called a ranula and requires surgical corrections.
Your dog has three major types of salivary glands. The gland differs from one another because of the difference between the type of saliva produced by each of the glands.
- Parotid Glands – The parotid glands produce a serious and watery secretion.
- Submaxillary – submaxillary or the mandibular glands produce a mixture of serious and mucous secretion.
- Sublingual Glands – The sublingual glands produce and secrete saliva which mainly consists of the mucous form.
There are mainly two basic types of acinar epithelial cells that exist in the various salivary glands of the mouth. The two types of cells are named serous and mucous cells. The serous cells secrete a watery fluid that does not contain any trace of the mucous, while the mucous cells are those that have ample amounts of rich and rich mucous. The parotid glands contain acini that are entirely serous type while the type of cell that is predominant in the sublingual glands. The submaxillary gland contains cells that are of both serous and mucous type.
The following are the various functions of saliva
- The saliva helps in lubrication and binding. The mucus of the saliva helps the food items especially those of masticated nature into a slippery substance that can easily slide into the esophagus without destroying the mucosa of the tract. The saliva forms a thin layer and covers the mouth cavity and the esophagus without any direct contact with the food and the deeper epithelial cells of the mouth.
- The saliva also helps in solubilizing the food items. The taste of the food that we get on consuming the food item is when the molecules of the food solubilize in the saliva.
- The saliva is also responsible for maintaining the oral hygiene of the mouth as well. The food debris floats in the saliva and gets flushed away out of the oral cavity. The saliva also contains lysozymes that kill bacteria and other microbial populations. During the time of sleep, the salivation of the mouth reduces to a great extent leading to bacterial growth and bad breath.
- The serous acinar cells produce an alpha-amylase which is responsible for breaking down the starch into maltose.
- The oral cavity of your dog is alkaline. This helps in digestion in animals that have nonsecretory fore-stomachs.
Saliva is also a method of cooling. This is mainly seen in dogs that have poor sweat glands. The evaporation of the saliva after a rigorous exercise would help the dog to become cool.
See more: Dog Salivary Gland Disorders
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