Hip Dysplasia: A Feline Population Study

Abstract

The study population consisted of cats presented to the University of Missouri-Columbia Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital from January 1, 1991 through December 31, 1995. Ventrodorsal radiographs including the pelvic region were evaluated for radiographic evidence of hip dysplasia. Each radiograph was evaluated independently by three board-certified veterinary radiologists and a consensus normal of dysplastic evaluation was determined. There were 684 cats from 12 breeds. The data derived from this study indicate the frequency of feline hip dysplasia in this population to be about 6.6% (45/684) and that the incidence appears to be breed dependent. Also, the radiographic appearance of hip dysplasia in cats is different than in dogs. A shallow acetabulum with remodeling and proliferation involving the cranio-dorsal acetabular margin were the most common radiographic signs. Minimal remodeling of the femoral neck was seen.

Hip joint

“…Purebred cats have a higher incidence of hip dysplasia compared to domestic short-hair cats. The prevalence for hip dysplasia in domestic short-hair cats was 6% versus 12% in purebred cats in one report (5). Breeds reported or suspected to have a high prevalence for hip dysplasia include the Maine Coon, Himalayan, Siamese, Abyssinian, Devon Rex, and Persian cats (5,6).…”

“…Feline hip dysplasia was first described in the 1970s (3,4), and surprisingly high radiographic incidences have been reported since, ranging from 7% to 32% (5,6). The wide variation in the reported frequency of hip dysplasia may be due to more systematic screening, different criteria used for radiographic evaluation of the hip joints, and differences in breeds examined.…”

“…Clinical signs of feline hip dysplasia and/or coxarthrosis include inactivity, lameness, reluctance to jump and climb stairs, muscle atrophy, and crepitation and pain on manipulation of the hip joint. Some cats with hip dysplasia have been reported to suffer from patellar luxation concurrently (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9).…”

“…When evaluating feline hip joints it should be taken into account that the normal acetabulum of cats is generally shallower than in dogs. However, less than 50% coverage of the femoral head is commonly, but not necessarily, associated with the development of coxarthrosis (5).…”

High Field (4.7T) Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Feline Hip Joints

“…Certain large breed dogs are prone to develop hip dysplasia (HD) and following degenerative joint disease (DJD) [13,14]. HD and DJD are now being recognized in cats after a few reports on HD associated with lameness [6][7][8]10] and a radiographic survey reporting a relatively high incidence of DJD in geriatric cats [5].…”