Feline hip dysplasia is a developmental malformation of the hip joint that leads to secondary osteoarthritis. It is probably more common than most clinicians think, because cats hide pain and often have it in both hips, so there is no normal limb to compare. For the NAVLE the useful points are the radiographic pattern, which differs from dogs, and the fact that most cats are managed without surgery.
Key facts
Hip dysplasia at a glance- Species and system: cats; musculoskeletal (coxofemoral joint).
- Cause: inherited, polygenic. Heritability in Maine Coons was 0.36 and genetically correlated with body mass (Low 2019).
- Classic picture: a large purebred cat with reduced activity, reluctance to jump, litter box problems and bilateral pelvic limb stiffness; shallow acetabulum on radiographs.
- Prevalence: reported from 6.6% (684 hospital cats) to 46.7% (107 pedigree cats), depending on the population.
- Treatment: multimodal conservative care first; femoral head and neck excision (FHNE) or micro total hip replacement (THR) only if that fails.
- Zoonotic or reportable: no.
What's inside
12 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention, control and public health
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 4 tables, 1 figure, 3 self-test questions and 9 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.