Disorder - Syndactyly

Organ Systems Involved
Musculoskeletal

Alternative disorders described within LIDA

Polydactyly; Ectrodactyly

Alternative Names
Syndactylia; Syndactylism

Presenting Signs

Feline syndactyly is a rare condition in which the toes on one or more feet are joined or have failed to separate. Syndactyly occurs to various degrees and is classified as:

• simple (affecting only skin and fibrous tissue) or complex (affecting skin, fibrous tissue and bone),
  
• incomplete (adjacent digits are not connected throughout their entire length) or complete (connected throughout entire length), or
  
• uncomplicated (not associated with other abnormalities) or complicated (associated with other abnormalities).
  
  Affected animals are usually not lame and often only have paw changes such as abnormal or absent digits, abnormal shape, fusion or absence of digital pads and abnormal shape or fusion of nails. The altered conformation can lead to abnormal weight distribution on the paws and may lead to arthritis in the long term. Syndactyly is diagnosed by clinical examination and X-rays.

Cats at Risk

Syndactyly can affect both male and female cats and is reported to occur commonly in combination with deformities such as split hand (ectrodactyly) and having additional digits (polydactyly).

Treatment

None. Unlike simple syndactyly in dogs, which causes lameness and can be surgically corrected, all reported cat cases were affected with complex syndactyly. Medical or surgical treatment is not recommended because these patients appear to experience minimal to no discomfort and are presented without lameness.

PubMed References
Syndactyly

Contributor
Bee Sze Koh