There are many causes that can lead to broken bones in our feline friends, but the most common of them all are falls from major heights and accidents involving cars for cats who live outdoors.

Hip dysplasia occurs when the hip joint develops in an abnormally loose manner, creating chronic instability in the hip joint.

Elbow dysplasia (ED) describes a group of developmental conditions which results in the bones of the elbow joint not fitting together perfectly.

Osteochonditis Dissecans (OCD) is a developmental condition where a flap of cartilage breaks off from the end of the bone, and lodges in the joint, triggering inflammation and pain. Osteochondrosis (OC) describes the abnormal development of cartilage which leads to OCD.

Arthritis is a general term referring to damage and inflammation of joints. Osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs is a chronic, progressive form of this disease resulting in pain and reduced mobility.

Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is a disease that causes degeneration of the femoral head spontaneously. It is also known as avascular or aseptic necrosis of the femoral head.

Hypertrophic Osteopathy is a bone disease where new bone information appears in the limbs of a young growing dog. Although the exact mechanisms of the inflammation is poorly understood, it is thought to be an immune-mediated disorder.

Carpitis is inflammation of the soft connective tissues on the surface of the bones of the carpus of a horse. The horse carpus is the equivalent of the human knee joint. This inflammation can involve the fibrous joint capsule, synovial membrane, and associated ligaments and bones of the carpus.

Gout is a disorder where high quantities of uric acid are deposited in different tissues. It can cause kidney damage, rigid toes, swollen joints and neurological problems.

Lethargy can be defined as having decreased energy and lowered levels of activity. It is a difficult symptom to identify in a cat, since cats typically are not highly active animals

Muscle tremors in dogs are involuntary, repetitive, rhythmic muscle movements.

As dogs get older, their muscles gradually begin to lose function and waste away in a process called muscle atrophy. It’s a natural side effect of getting older, but it can also result from inactivity after an injury or illness, like a broken leg. Here’s what you need to know about muscle atrophy in dogs.

Tick paralysis is primarily a disease of Australian cats with only rare occurrences reported in North American

Muscle swelling can be defined as any abnormal increase in size of muscle tissue.

Collapse is the inability to maintain a normal, standing posture, and is a rare symptom in cats. Cat owners may see their cat suddenly fall or intentionally lie down, then be unable to stand up.

Exercise intolerance is defined as the decreased ability to tolerate strenuous exercise. Cats with exercise intolerance want to get up and play or run, but aren’t able to keep up without having difficulty.

Hypothyroidism is a common clinical condition in dogs resulting from reduced production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid glands.

Tick paralysis results when a tick’s saliva delivers a paralytic toxin into the bloodstream of its host. Equine tick paralysis is rare, as horses seem to be resistant to most tick toxins.

Exercise intolerance is a decreased ability to endure sustained exercise.

Muscle tremors are involuntary movement of the muscular tissue, often appearing similar to shivering or trembling. This symptom is not common in cats.

Limping, or lameness, is any disruption of bodily function that affects a cat’s ability to walk, run or jump normally.

Ataxia means “difficulty walking”. An ataxic cat has difficulty controlling the movements of the head, legs, or torso.

Lameness is an abnormal gait caused by a dysfunction of the muscles, joints, or bones. Lameness is extremely common in horses, and is the most common cause of “loss of use” in performance horses

Joint pain in cats is soreness localized to the articulated parts of the limbs.

Limited mobility (LM) in cats presents as a reduction in movement or agility. Cats with LM struggle with actions or behavior that were previously considered normal.

Collapse in dogs is generally defined as when a dog falls and cannot get back up.

Joint swelling is a common symptom in horses and has a variety of causes.

“Ringbone” refers to ring-shaped bony protrusions formed due to osteoarthritis in either the pastern joint or coffin joint in horses.

Joint swelling in cats is the enlargement of one or more joints.

Bone spavin in horses is painful, progressive, irreversible osteoarthritis of the lower hock joints.