Facts About the Muscular System in a Dog

The function of the muscle system in a dog is to produce movement and stabilize joints. It consists of units of tissue, which, in turn, produce movement. Good muscle function is essential since it's important that dogs run and jump.

  1. Size

    • The muscle system is one of the largest systems in a dog's body and takes up about half of a dog's body weight.

    Voluntary and Involuntary Muscles

    • Muscles are either voluntary on involuntary. A dog's thought controls its voluntary muscles such as muscles in the arms or legs. Involuntary muscles are muscles that can't be controlled by thought such as muscles of the heart or intestines.

    Muscle Tissue

    • The three types of muscle tissue are smooth, skeletal and cardiac muscle.

    Oxygen

    • It's important that the muscles take in plenty of oxygen to allow for excellent performance such as during endurance running.