Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

C h a p t e r
THE URINARY SYSTEM
The urinary tract is made up of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra, and, in
the male, the prostate. (The male genitourinary system is shown below and
the female system is shown on page 460.) There are two kidneys—one on
either side of the backbone just behind the last rib. Each kidney has a renal
pelvis, or funnel, that siphons the urine into a ureter. The ureters transport
urine to the bladder. The bladder empties into the urethra. The opening of
the urethra is found at the tip of the penis in the male and between the folds
of the vulva in the female. In the male, the urethra also serves as the channel
for semen. The prostate envelops the urethra just below the bladder. The top
surface of the prostate can be felt by rectal examination.
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