Digestive System

Dog Digestive System

Your dog's digestive system is responsible for three things:

• digestion (breakdown) of food

• absorption of nutrients into the blood to be transported to the body cells

• prevention of toxic and disease causing substances entering into the body

Multiple Choice

What is the dogs digestive system responsible for?

• Digestion (breaking down food)

• Absorption (sending nutrients into the blood)

• Prevention (eliminating toxins from food/medicine)

• All of the previous are correct

Mouth and Teeth

• The very start of the dog digestive system.

• The food is cut, sliced or torn to the correct size by the teeth. (Mechanical Digestion)

• The food is lubricated by saliva and further broken down by enzymes in the saliva. (Chemical Digestion)

• The food, mixed with saliva, forms a bolus and is guided by the tongue, down into the esophagus.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of mechanical digestion in the mouth?

• The food is lubricated by saliva and further broken down by enzymes in the saliva.

• The food is cut, sliced or torn to the correct size by the teeth.

Esophagus

• The esophagus is the connecting tube leading from the mouth to the stomach.

• It is a muscle and contracts in wave like motions, called peristalsis, to move the food along the path to the stomach.

Multiple Choice

The esophagus is a muscle and contracts in wave like motions, called ___________, to move the food along the path to the stomach.

• segmentation

• peristalsis

• protraction

• reduction

Stomach

• Here the food is further broken down into a very thick liquid called chyme.

• The stomach works like a cement mixer, mixing and grinding the food. (Mechanical Digestion)

• The food is mixed with hydrochloric acid (would burn your hand, if you touched it). This stomach acid helps to breakdown the food. (Chemical Digestion)

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is an example of chemical digestion in the stomach?

• The food is mixed with hydrochloric acid. This stomach acid helps to breakdown the food.

• The stomach works like a cement mixer, mixing and grinding the food.

Small Intestines

• Small Intestines are the next stop on the journey of dog digestion.

• It is a long hollow tube about 4 times the length of the dog's body.

• Almost all nutrients are absorbed here, into the bloodstream, and then travel though out the body to be used by the cells.

Multiple Choice

The main function of the small intestine is:

• digestion of nutrients

• absorption of nutrients

• prevention of nutrients

• none of the above

Pancreas

• The pancreas secretes enzymes, into the small intestine, that help to further break down proteins.

• The pancreas is also an endocrine gland that regulates the amount of sugar in the blood.

Multiple Choice

The pancreas secretes enzymes that break down:

• carbohydrates

• fats

• proteins

• DNA

Liver

• The liver creates bile, which is used to breakdown fats.

• It also filters out toxins and waste found in food and medications

Multiple Choice

The liver secretes bile that breaks down:

• carbohydrates

• fats

• proteins

• DNA

Gall Bladder

• The gall bladder stores bile, after it is released by the liver.

Multiple Choice

The gall bladder regulates what type of fluid:

• Bile

• Pancreatic Juices

• Hydrochloric Acid

• Enzymes

Large Intestine

• The large intestine is made up of the cecum and the colon.

• The colon absorbs any leftover water from the feces (waste) before it exists the body.

• Bacteria in the large intestine break down any remaining hard to digest food.

Multiple Choice

What is mainly absorbed by the large intestine?

• vitamins

• nutrients

• enzymes

• water

The End