VPB 121: Veterinary Physiology - II (2+1)

SUCKLING REFLEX

• More prominant in newborn animals to fecilitate withdrawal of milk from teat canal and mammary gland while feeding.
• Suckling is a physiological process involving  coordinated synchronus movement of tongue and buccal musculature.
• It is termed as a reflex since it involves set pattern of neuronal inputs to complete this action.
• Afferent fibers pass through trigeminal and facial nerve.
• Involves internuncial neurons located within the brain stem reticular formation.
• Motor fibres with orders to the specific muscles reach via hypoglassol, facial and branch of trigeminal that is involved in mastication.
• This reflex is initiated by creating a vaccum which is assisted by withdrawal of tounge from the heart palate.
• The creation of partial vaccum within the oral cavity help to withdraw milk from the mammary gland.
• This reflex is always associated with reflex closure of  reticular groove of the young animal to direct the flow of milk into the omasum and abomasum.