Ultimate Guide to Dog Skeletal System and Reproductive Anatomy

As pet care continues to evolve and improve, the need to understand our pets is an increasing one. Dedicated pet owners and indeed most League City veterinary clinics need the most current information that they can get about their pets so as to provide the best care always.

In this post, we have provided an ultimate guide to dog skeletal system anatomy as a means of educating all concerned veterinary participants on what they should know about their dog's bodies.

We are expectant that information such as this will help dog owners and emergency veterinary care clinics to understand pets better as they deliver superior pet health care.

Pet owners will also have a visual memory of the anatomy of their dog in a case where the dog needs first aid and they need to report to an emergency animal clinic close by. They will be in a better position to know when their pet needs to visit a veterinary expert.

First off, we must understand that the skeletal system of a dog has the same function as that of other animals including humans. It is mainly for support, balance, and mobility.

If any part of the skeletal system is affected, support of the body and its mobility is affected. The skeletal system works together with the muscular system which is made up of muscles, cartilages, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues.

All these bone parts make up the anatomy of a dog and it is important to have a basic knowledge of them at least so as to provide better care for your pet.

First we have listed out some of the bones in a dog's skeletal system and secondly, we have listed the major skeletal joints it has too.

Major bone parts in the anatomy of a dog:

The Scapula, the shoulder joint area of your dog's anatomy. The scapula connects the arms of your dog to the rest of the body.

The Humerus, the long arm bones joined to the scapula (shoulder joint)

The Ulna and Radius, forearm area which is connected to the metacarpals

The Metacarpals, your dog's finger or front paw bones

The Femur, the long hind leg bones connected to the pelvic joint

The Patella, the kneecap bones (protects the knee joints)

The Tibia and Fibula, the foreleg of your dog connected to the femur

The Metatarsals, the hind leg toe bones (connected to the tibia and fibula)

The Vertebra, the long longitudinal bone supporting the whole skeletal system and housing the spinal cord

The Pelvis, where the respective male dog reproductive system and female dog reproductive system are given support.

Below are some of the common joints that can be found in your dog's skeletal system:

1. Shoulder

The shoulder joint of your dog consists of the shoulder blade also known as the scapula and the large arm bone also known as the Humerus. These two joints are joined at the shoulder to form a movable lever which is your dog's arm.

Any harm to this joint means your dog starts limping or worse crippled. If you notice swelling or limping on your dog, visiting an emergency animal clinic near you should be the next step as fast as possible.

2. Elbow joint

The elbow joint connects the upper arm of your dog to its lower forearms. Of course, the movement is slowed should anything happen to your dog's elbow joint. In a case of an accident, simply find a means of carefully positioning the poor animal not to rest on the hurt elbow joint and get it to an emergency clinic near you as soon as you can.

3. Hip joint

The hip joint is also known as the pelvis and is where the large femoral bone fits smugly into so the legs can work smoothly. The hip joint facilitates the movement of the hind legs of your dog and it's a vital part of the anatomy of a dog.

The pelvis is also responsible for shielding the delicate canine reproductive system. Male and female dogs reach sexual maturity early and pelvic health is necessary for reproductive functions.

4. Stifle

The stifle is simply the knee joint and it's protected by the patella also called the kneecap. Both skeletal parts are important to the movement of the dog's hind legs.

It is important to note that just like in other male and female animals, the skeletal system of a dog differs in both male and female. This is attributed to the difference in the male and female reproductive system.

While male dog skeletal anatomy is noticeably bigger among breeds, the female skeletal anatomy is usually smaller.

In conclusion, the canine skeletal system is quite similar to those of other mammals. We believe that this write-up will provide dog owners a more incise knowledge about their pet's skeletal system and in turn, reflect in a better healthcare practice!