Cat Foot Anatomy

Image modified from hills pet nutrition atlas of veterinary clinical anatomy. It is not a health concern see bigfoot and american polydactyl cat.

2019 Ultimate Veterinary Guide To Cat Anatomy With Images

The metacarpophalangeal joints are typical condylar joints possessing a medial and lateral collateral ligament and a synovial joint capsule.

Cat foot anatomy. Compared to us a cats rear feet are huge in proportion to his legs. The maximum number of extra digits is 7 toes see polydactyl cat record holders. They cannot move their toes independently.

Polydactylism see photo to right cat paws with extra toes is a well known condition that can affect any cats but maine coons have a predisposition to the condition. And 4 on each hind foot. They walk directly on their toes with the bones of their feet making up the lower part of the visible leg.

These joints also possess two elongated palmar sesamoid bones and one small round dorsal sesamoid dorsally over the joint. Cats like dogs are digitigrades. The dewclaw is located high on the foreleg is not in contact with the ground and is non weight bearing.

This agile creature has a skeletal system made up of 244 bones with about 27 bones located in its tail which helps with balance and movement. Cat anatomy notice that the kidneys are not labeled on this picture. Most cats have a total of 18 digits and claws.

The back paws only have extra toes when the front paws have them. Though both cats and dogs have paws dogs cannot hold their prey with their paws like cats. On the other hand working breeds have thicker toe pads that provide traction.

The kidneys are tucked up close to the liver toward the spine. The cardiovascular system includes the heart and blood vessels. However breeds like keeshonds akitas and doberman pinschers have rounder compact feet which allows them to easily lift their paws.

The cat is natures very own inspector gadget with a svelte body equipped with a variety of cool capabilities that make the feline truly fascinating. Cats have the same legs as we do but in different proportions. 5 on each forefoot the 5th digit being the dewclaw.

Diagnosis of footpad injury in cats oftentimes a footpad injury is diagnosed by simple observation of the affected area. The organ systems include. The vigilant owner who sees their cat licking excessively at a foot should take this as a cue to inspect the paw for problems.

The cardiovascular system performs the.

Chapter 25 Fracture And Dislocation Of The Carpus