saliva the break

saliva the break

by Ernest
(Sanford, FL, U.S)

Do jack Russell terriers use saliva to break down food like bones?

Comments for
saliva the break

Oct 06, 2009

digestion
by: Anonymous

*Note: Only feed your dogs RAW bones if you are going to feed bones. Baked, fried or cooked bones of any type can splinter in the throat, esophagus, stomach and intestines. Raw Chicken necks are a good healthy option and they also clean the teeth very well.

Just like humans, digestion begins in the mouth by breaking down the big pieces into smaller pieces. There are some enzymes in the saliva that start the breakdown of some starches, but generally most of the digestion happens from the stomach down. The stomach has acids that further break down the food. The stomach also absorbs some of the water. In the the colon we have most of the nutrient absorption. In the colon, the rest of the water is removed so that the dog (or human) doesn't have diarrhea all the time.

Dogs are able to digest bones better because the pH in their stomach is lower than humans (this means that their stomach is more acidic). Of course, this is mostly true for raw bones. Cooked bones will splinter more and can cause fatal damage to the dogs insides. Think about a dog in the wild. Would they ever eat a cooked bone?? No......

I hope this helps!