Arterial anatomosurgical segments of the mammary glands in dogs (Canis familiaris, Linnaeus, 1758)

Thirty mammary complexes (sixty antimers) from cross bred multiparous bitches, were injected with latex and then studied by means of radiology and dissection. The different anatomo-surgical arterial segments thus obtained were identified and designated according to the anatomical zone of irrigation of each mammary gland as follows: 1. Thoracic segment, by means of the fourth and fifth perforant arteries, penetrates the first mammary gland in 85% of the cases; 2. Thoracoabdominal segment, by means of the sixth and seventh perforant arteries, penetrates the second mammary gland in 48.33 % of the cases. This segment can also be divided as follows: 2.1. Retrograde branches of the cranial superficial epigastric artery that penetrates the second mammary gland in about 51.66% of the cases, as the toracoabdominal cranial segment; 2.2. Terminal branches of the last artery penetrate the third mammary gland in 73.32% of the cases, as the toracoabdominal caudal segment. 3. Inguinoabdominal segment may also possess two sub-- segments: 3.1. Caudal superficial epigastric artery with primary branches penetrating the fourth mamma and the ventral labial branches, penetrating the fifth mamma in 96.66% of the cases, as inguinoabdomninal caudal segment. 3.2. Terminal branches of the caudal superficial epigastric artery penetrates the third mamma in 51.66% of the cases as inguinoabdominal cranial segment. The anastomosis observed in 78.33% of the cases may not have significance in mastectomy