Conditions of the feline pelvic region

Feline pelvic disease may result in hindlimb lameness, dysfunction of the terminal urogenital and gastrointestinal tracts, internal haemorrhage and pain. Long-term sequelae include chronic hindlimb lameness and/or neurological dysfunction, urinary or faecal incontinence, obstipation and dystocia. Conditions of the feline pelvis and hips are most commonly of traumatic aetiology, with up to one third of cat fractures involving the pelvis. Nonetheless, the general practitioner should be aware of the few conditions of the feline pelvis which occur in the absence of trauma. This article focuses on the diagnosis, clinical significance and therapy of conditions of the pelvis, sacrum and hip joints in the cat, traumatic and otherwise. Analogous conditions exist in dogs, and the differences between the two species are highlighted.