Stomach of the Dog:
3. Shape and Size
The position and sizes of the stomach changes depending on its fullness. The empty stomach lies in the intrathoracic part of the abdominal cavity. It lies to left of the median plane, it is surrounded by the liver and the diaphragm cranioventrally and the intestinal mass caudally; therefore, it cannot be palpated. The empty stomach is a U-shaped tube. The greater curvature faces ventrally and to the left. The lesser curvature is strongly curved and it faces craniodorsally and to the right.
The full stomach extends cranially and caudally. The ventral part of the body lies in contact with the abdominal floor and is easily palpated.
