External Anatomy of Livestock (Terms & Terminology)
In cattle and horses, this is the highest point of the shoulder, often used as the standard point to measure height.
What are the withers?
This is the anatomical term for the "whiskers" found on cats and dogs, used for sensory perception.
What are vibrissae?
This suffix is used in medical terminology to indicate inflammation.
What is -itis?
If a bottle of medicine contains 100 mL and the dose is 10 mL, this is how many doses are in the bottle.
What is 10 doses?
This is the term for a castrated male horse.
What is a gelding?
This term refers to the fleshy part of the side between the ribs and the hip.
What is the flank?
Unlike humans, dogs and cats walk on their toes rather than the soles of their feet, a posture known by this term.
What is digitigrade?
This directional term means "toward the tail" of the animal.
What is caudal?
To convert an animal's weight from kilograms to pounds, you must multiply the weight by this number.
What is 2.2?
This term refers to the "slow" heartbeat of an animal, often found in medical records.
What is bradycardia?
Located on the hind limb of a horse or cow, this joint is the equivalent of the human ankle.
What is the hock?
This unique feline feature allows cats to rotate their ears independently and contributes to their exceptional balance.
What is the vestibular apparatus?
In the Universal Ear Notching system for swine, a notch in the tip of the right ear represents this number.
What is 81?
A 50-lb dog weighs approximately this many kilograms (rounded to the nearest whole number).
What is 23 kg?
Convert a dosage of 0.5 grams into milligrams.
What is 500 mg?
In swine, this is the term for the long, upper portion of the back, which is a high-value meat cut.
What is the loin?
This is the primary weight-bearing bone of the lower front leg in both dogs and cats.
What is the radius?
When an animal is lying on its back for an X-ray, it is placed in this specific
What is dorsal recumbency?
If a medication concentration is 50 mg/mL and the vet orders 150 mg, you should administer this many milliliters.
What is 3 mL?
The "poll" is located on this part of a livestock animal's body.
What is the top of the head?
This specific part of the hoof or foot in livestock is the soft, sensitive area located toward the back of the sole.
What is the frog (in horses) or the bulb (in ruminants)?
The "kneecap" in a dog’s hind leg is anatomically referred to by this name.
What is the patella?
This permanent ID method for livestock involves using a super-cooled iron to kill pigment-producing cells in the hair.
What is freeze branding?
A 10 cc syringe holds the exact same volume as a syringe of this many milliliters.
What is 10 mL?
In anatomy, the "deep" direction refers to a position in relation to the surface.
What is further away from the surface (or internal)?