7.2 Cat and Dog Species Terms and Anatomy
Species Terms
You are certainly familiar with terms such as “cat” and “dog.” However, in the veterinary field we sometimes refer to these species by an adjective relating to their scientific name.
| Common Name | Adjective |
|---|---|
| Cat | Feline |
| Dog | Canine |
Within every species, we have unique names for different age and sex groups. This is especially important in production animals and breeding animals, so these terms are used more frequently for large animals than for companion animals.
We often spay or neuter our dogs and cats, but tend to just state their reproductive status rather than using a different term. Knowing reproductive status is very important, as it can help the veterinarian rule out certain diseases.
Canine
| Sex | Age | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Intact male | Adult | Stud or dog (M) |
| Neutered male | Adult | Dog (M/N or MN) |
| Intact female | Adult | Bitch or dog (F) |
| Spayed female | Adult | Dog (F/S or FS) |
| Either | Baby | Puppy or whelp |
Other terms:
- Pack: Group of dogs
- Whelping: Giving birth to a canine
Feline
| Sex | Age | Term |
|---|---|---|
| Intact male | Adult | Cat (M) |
| Neutered male | Adult | Cat (M/N, MN) |
| Intact female | Adult | Queen (F) |
| Spayed female | Adult | Cat (F/S, FS) |
| Either | Baby | Kitten |
Other terms:
- Queening: Giving birth to a feline
- Feral: a domestic cat that has lived outdoors for an extended period of time and is not socialized to humans.
Exercises
Basic Anatomy
Anatomical terms are very important to help describe the location of injuries, so it is crucial to have a general knowledge of these topographical markers.
The general layout of the skeleton of cats and dogs is very similar to the human skeleton. The table below lists anatomical terms for cats and dogs, along with their human counterpart.
From Head to Toe
The following table discusses some of the common anatomy landmarks you will hear in companion animal medicine.
| Anatomical Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Muzzle | Equivalent to human nose and lips
The most rostral portion of the head |
| Pinna | Ear flap |
| Shoulder | Equivalent to human shoulder
Joint where the scapula (shoulder blade) meets the humerus (front limb) |
| Elbow | Equivalent to human elbow
Joint where the humerus meets the radius and ulna (front limb) |
| Carpus | Equivalent to the human wrist
Joint between the radius/ulna and the metacarpals |
| Dewclaw | Residual toe that does not bear weight between the carpus and the foot. Often present on front limbs, occasionally on hindlimbs |
| Paw | Equivalent to human foot
The foot of the animal that they walk on |
| Stifle | Equivalent to human knee
Joint between the femur and the tibia/fibula (hind limb) |
| Hock/tarsus | Joint equivalent to human ankle
Tarsus is the name of the joint, but it is colloquially referred to as the “hock” in most animals (hind limb) |
| Tail | Anatomy differs depending on species, but in general caudal extension of spine +/- extra hair |
Comparative Anatomy – Dog vs. Human
Animals and humans share the same general skeletal layout. In Chapter 8, there are figures showing a horse and a human skeleton, colour-coded to show how they compare, and a comparison between the hock in the cat and the horse.
Below, we will show how the front leg in the dog relates to the arm of a human.
Note: Phalanges are the bones that make up our fingers and toes!
Dogs
The following image shows the locations of the terms discussed above on a picture of a dog.
Cats
The following image shows the locations of the terms discussed above on a picture of a cat.
Exercises
Image Credits
(images are listed in order of appearance)
Limb homology by Petter Bøckman, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Archie terms by Kelly Robertson, labelled by Matéa David-Steel. NorQuest College. Used with permission.
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