Uvula?

[F, Calla & Luca]

I was at the dentist the other day and thinking about gagging. It occurred to me that my dogs don't gag, even when I put pills so far back on their tongues I'm practically touching their stomachs. So I wondered if they have a uvula. It is a fleshy piece of soft tissue that hangs down from the soft palate and it is for many people one of the culprits that cause gagging when touched. Dogs, according to the information I found on line, do not have a uvula. We learn more things about dogs every day!

[F, Calla & Luca]

The easy dog anatomy book is on it's way. How did I live without the internet for looking things up and ordering?

[F, Calla & Luca]

Yes, we all need that!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Canines do have an   epiglottis.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Fascinating...

[F, Calla & Luca]

Yes, I couldn't find real scientific articles either. I did once think of getting a canine anatomy book and I may one day : )

[Camilla and Darwin]

I did a quick internet search, and it seems that only humans (one site said apes do as well)... not dogs. These weren't really iron clad sources, but multiple sites said the same thing. How interesting, I have never even considered that...

[F, Calla & Luca]

That may very well be at least part of the reason.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Say " Ahhhhhhhh" Doodle

[F, Calla & Luca]

I don't know Kyoko if that's the answer. In humans the uvula helps prevent things from going into the nasopharynx. It's the epiglottis which covers the trachea so that things go into the esophagus and not into our tracheas.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Interesting!   Now I am going to try to look.  Maybe I will just use your source of information and take their word for it