Physiology. Amylase is a calcium dependent enzyme which hydrolyzes complex carbohydrates at alpha 1,4-linkages to form maltose and glucose. Amylase is filtered by renal tubules and resorbed (inactivated) by tubular epithelium. Active enzyme does not appear in urine.
The prostate is an accessory sex gland that surrounds the urethra and neck of a male dog's bladder. The prostate gland produces a fluid that helps nourish and transport sperm. Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a condition in which the prostate gland is enlarged. The word hyperplasia means increased in size.
It is often a malignant form that can be difficult to treat and life threatening. When an unneutered male dog reaches 8 years of age, he has a greater than 80% chance of developing prostate disease, but it is rarely cancerous (benign or malignant). The gland serves the same function in the dog as it does in man and suffers from all the same diseases.