A Comparative Morphological and Morphometric Study of the Parotid and Submandibular Glands in Adult Persian Cats (Felis catus) and Adult French Lop Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus Domesticus)

Salivary glands, particularly the parotid gland and submandibular gland, show notable interspecies variations in morphology and size, reflecting dietary habits and functional adaptations among mammals. The study to compare the gross morphology of the parotid and submandibular glands in adult Persian cats and adult French Lop rabbits. This study was carried out on 10 healthy adult animals, consisting of  5 Persian cats and 5 French Lop rabbits obtained from the local animal market in Babylon province. For morphological study location, relationship, shape of each gland, also the weigh, volume, length, width, thickness of gland also (length, diameter of duct). The results showed that, the parotid gland was the larger major salivary gland in both species. In the cat, it was quadrilateral, markedly lobulated, white to creamy, and located in the parotid region over the ramus of the mandible. In the rabbit, it was irregular elongated quadrilateral, lobulated, yellow to brown and extended from the ear base to the mandibular angle. The cat showed larger values than the rabbit for parotid length, width, thickness, volume, weight, duct length, and duct diameter. The parotid duct in both species was single and opened into the oral vestibule through the parotid papilla, opposite the first molar in the cat and the third molar in the rabbit.  The submandibular gland was smaller than the parotid gland in both animals, in cat, it was oval, smooth to slightly lobulated, brown to yellow and located beneath the ventral part of the parotid gland. In the rabbit, it was pyramidal, slightly lobulated, red-brown, and positioned medially near the mandibular angle. The cat also showed larger measurements than the rabbit for submandibular length, width, thickness, volume, weight, duct length, and duct diameter. In both species, the submandibular duct was single and opened at the sublingual caruncle.