Abdominal Viscera (Veterinary Anatomy)

Alimentary Canal (esophagus, stomach, intestine)

A. Esophagus — cervical, thoracic, abdominal regions (all striated in dog; proximal 2/3’s striated in cat )

B. Stomach:
Sphincters: 1) Cardiac (at cardia) and
2) Pyloric (at pylorus)
Region: a) Cardiac (surrounding cardia)
b) Fundic (fundus = blind end)
c) Body
d) Pyloric (antrum & canal)
also, lesser curvature — LESSER OMENTUM greater curvature — GREATER OMENTUM
C. Small Intestine:
1) Duodenum — MESODUODENUM
regions:
a) Cranial flexure
b) Descending duodenum
c) Caudal flexure
d) Ascending duodenum
e) Duodenal-jejunal flexure
2) Jejunum — MESOJEJUNUM --->MESENTERY
3) Ileum — MESOILEUM---> MESENTERY

D. Large Intestine:
1) Cecum (blind end; no appendix) cecocolic orifice; ileocecal fold.
2) Colon — MESOCOLON
Regions:
a) Ascending colon
b) Right colic flexure
c) Transverse colon
d) Left colic flexure
e) Descending colon
3) Rectum — MESORECTUM
4) Anal canal (retroperitoneal) Anus = external opening
Sphincters —
a) Internal anal sphincter (smooth m.),
b) External anal sphincter (striated m.);

Liver
Secretes bile salts which emulsify ingested fat; bile is tored in the gallbladder develops in ventral mesogastrium: (Diaphragm / LIGAMENTS / LIVER / LESSER OMENTUM / stomach)
Six lobes:
Rright lateral lobe Right medial lobe Gallbladder Quadrate lobe Left medial lobe Left lateral lobe Caudate lobe — Papillary process Caudate process

Pancreas
Pancreas —
Secretes proteolytic enzymes into duodenum; also, endocrine secretions (insulin, etc.)
Structure:
left lobe + body + right lobe; located in GREATER OMENTUM & MESODUODENUM
Ducts:
Pancreatic duct (smaller) empties with bile duct —> major duodenal papilla.
Accessory pancreatic duct (larger) empties —> minor duodenal papilla.

Kidney:
— removes waste products from blood (urine);
— regulates fluid/salt balance (blood osmotic pressure)
Topography — Right kidney is more cranial than the left;
Cranial pole of right kidney is cupped by liver;
Left kidney is more loosely attached;
Feline kidneys are positioned more caudally.
Surface features —
cranial / caudal poles
dorsal / ventral surfaces
medial / lateral borders:
medial border has a hilus (where vesselsand the ureter enter) that leads to aspace (renal sinus) where the renal pelvis is located.

Kidney structure 
A fibrous capsule surrounds the kidney (capsular veins are prominent in the cat)
renal cortex = superficial tissue that contains vascular glomeruli
renal medulla = deep tissue (an outer part and a less vascular inner part can be distinguished)
renal pyramid = the medulla between interlobar vessels (belonging to a renal lobe)
renal papilla = the free tip of a renal pyramid (not present as such in carnivores)
renal crest = median ridge produced by fusion of renal papillae in the carnivore

Ureter
(forms branches and calyces in multilobar kidneys)
conveys urine from kidney to urinary bladder.
renal pelvis = expanded proximal end of ureter ( located within renal sinus of unilobar kidney)
pelvic recess = lateral expansion of renal pelvis between interlobar vessels.
Spleen:

Structure — develops in dorsal
mesogastrium; — becomes enlarged when capsular & trabecular smooth muscle relax (e.g., under barbiturate anesthesia)
Function
— serves as a reservoir for blood cells (blood storage)
— filters particles from blood, particularly over-aged erythrocytes.