Pain Medications and/or joint supplements: Pet parents should never give their cat any human pain medication, which can be very dangerous. Generally, treatment can include one or more of the following: Treatment of hip dysplasia can be challenging in cats.
![feline hip xray normal feline hip xray normal](https://www.mspca.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Casale-Feline-Orthopedic-Disease-Image-3-1.jpg)
Some purebreds have a higher risk for dysplasia. It is still important to be aware of the condition, especially if you have a purebred cat. Researchers suspect this is because cats are better at compensating for hind limb lameness and hiding their pain. Bony remodeling (where the body removes and builds bone) and arthritis worsens, resulting in greater discomfort and impaired mobility.įortunately, hip dysplasia is rarer in cats than in dogs, and many cats with hip dysplasia may never show clinical signs. Hip dysplasia is a degenerative disease, meaning that it worsens over time. Over time this poor connection leads to early arthritis as the body tries to stabilize the joint and compensate for the abnormality, laying down new bone and bone spurs. This abnormal hip joint leads to pain and reduced function.
![feline hip xray normal feline hip xray normal](https://www.esaote.com/fileadmin/user_upload/VET/vet-us/feline-immagine-rx.jpg)
In cats with hip dysplasia the ball does not sit firmly in the socket, which results in a loose joint. The ball is the round-shaped head of the femur bone in the hip and the socket is the cup-shaped depression in the cat’s pelvis.
![feline hip xray normal feline hip xray normal](https://d3i71xaburhd42.cloudfront.net/c0c658e0e278365cefa379ec6991b8ce4be59dcc/11-Figure9-1.png)
The hip joint is made of a ball and socket. Cats with hip dysplasia have poorly aligned hips that are too loose, which leads to discomfort. Hip dysplasia is the medical term describing abnormal development of the hip joint.