My dog has a right submandibular salivary gland mucocele. How is this treated?
My dog has a right submandibular salivary gland mucocele. Is there any way to drain this gland other than removing it? I know there is a procedure called marsupialization. Is the gland removed with this procedure? Removing the gland may cure the problem A salivary mucocele results from damage to the salivary gland or duct with subsequent leakage of saliva into the surrounding tissue. The saliva causes inflammation of the tissue and the formation of granulation tissue. Possible causes include trauma, a foreign body, or a stone called a sialolith. Mucoceles may be located in the neck or in the mouth. If your dog has a ranula, or mucocele located on the underneath side of the tongue, he may be a candidate for the marsupialization procedure that you mentioned. This procedure is not used for a cervical, or neck, mucocele, and may not cure the problem of a ranula. Marsupialization involves opening up the mucocele and suturing its edges to the sublingual tissue. The ranula is then allowed to
