Electrophysiologic Studies of the Cutaneous Innervation of the External Genitalia of the Female Dog

The cutaneous innervation of the external genitalia of the female dog was studied using electrophysiologic recording of evoked afferent activity in peripheral branches of the caudal cutaneous femoral, superficial perineal, and genitofemoral nerves, and the dorsal nerve of the clitoris. The observed cutaneous distribution was comparable to that of the male dog, with expected but relatively minor variation due to differences in morphology of the external genitalia. A speculative developmental sequence for the cutaneous innervation of the external genitalia was presented incorporating the distribution of the nerves studied to homologous structures between the sexes.