Dear Daisy Dog
We just got our first puppy, a Jack Russell terrier. The veterinarian checked her out and said she was fine, but I’m worried that she may be abnormal.
I see only two openings in her rear end. She’s a female, so shouldn’t there be three?
I’m too embarrassed to ask my vet this question.
Daisy Responds
We female dogs (and cats too) have just two rear openings visible from the outside: the vulva and the rectum.
Hidden inside the vulva is the vestibule, an internal space into which both the urethra and vagina open. So your little girl sounds perfectly normal.
By the way, the urethra, through which urine leaves the bladder, is adjacent to the vagina, so an infection in one tract can quickly spread to the other.
I’ve had a few urinary tract infections, so I’ll make a suggestion: If you see your girl urinating small amounts frequently or having accidents in the house, take a urine sample to your veterinarian to see whether she has a bladder infection.
Most veterinarians have heard it all, so don’t be embarrassed to ask your questions in the future!
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