It seems that everyone is at least somewhat familiar with the condition, hip dysplasia. It is certainly a common disorder in dogs of all shapes and sizes and is highly variable in its presentation. How many however realize that cats can also be afflicted with this disorder?

We were recently presented with a seven year old spayed female cat,"Amy", with a history of rear limb lameness. Since this could be symptomatic of many different conditions, we completed a physical exam and radiographs were recommended. Once obtained, it was a bit of a surprise to see evidence of degenerative joint disease involving the coxofemoral joints, aka "hip dysplasia".

Although we do see this condition in cats on occasion, it is certainly not a daily occurence and is interesting in that it reminds us to keep an open mind when evaluating our patients for things which may be unexpected. If your cat seems to be having difficulty jumping up onto things which previously weren't a problem or limps consistently, we should examine them so that we may determine first what is wrong and second how best to treat the condition.