Veterinary Medical Terminology-Chapter 4 Head to Toe (and Parts in Between)

Barrel

capacity of the chest of trunk

bars

raised V-shaped structure on distal surface of hoof

cheek

fleshy portion of either side of the face; forms the side of the mouth and continues rostrally to the lips

chestnuts

horny, irregular growths on the medial surface of the equine leg; in the front legs, the chestnuts are just above the knee; in the rear legs the chestnuts are near the hock

corners

third incisors of equine

coronary band (coronet)

junction between the skin and the horn of the hoof

croup

muscular area around and above the tail base

cutters

second incisors of equine

ergot

small keratinized mass of horn in a small bunch of hair on the palmar or plantar aspects of the equine fetlock

fetlock

the area of the limb between the pastern and the cannon

flank

side of the body between the ribs and ilium

forelock

in maned animals, the most cranial part of the mane hanging down between the ears and onto the forehead

frog

V-shaped pad of soft horn between the bars on the sole of the equine hoof.

gaskin (crus)

muscular portion of the hind-limb between the stifle and the hock

ungulates

animal with hoofs

mane

region of long, coarse hair at the dorsal boarder of the neck and terminating at the pole

muzzle

two nostrils (including the skin and fascia) and the muscles of the upper and lower lip

nippers

central incisors of equine

pastern

area of the limb between the fetlock and hoof

pastern joint

Proximal interphalangeal joint (joint between the long and short pastern bones [phalanges I and II, respectively]) in ungulates.

quarter

lateral or medial side of hoof

sole

palmar and planter surface of the hoof; irregular crescent-shapped bottom of the hoof

tail

caudal part of the vertebrate column extending beyond the trunk

white line

fusion between the wall and sole of the hoof

Chest

Part of the body between the neck and abdomen; the thorax.

Chin

Rostroventral protrusion of the mandible.

Elbow

Forelimb joint formed by distil humerus, distal radius, and proximal ulna; between the ribs and ilium.

Pinna

Projecting part of the ear lying outside the head; the auricle.

Rump (croup)

Sacral to tail head region of the back

Dewclaw

Accessory claw of the porcine foot that projects caudally from the fetlock. Rudimentary first digit of dogs and cats.

Ham

Musculature of the upper thigh.

Hock

Tarsal Joint

Jowl

External throat, especially when fat or loose skin is present.

Snout

Upper lip and apex of the nose of swine.

Dock

Solid part of the tail.

Fetlock Joint

Metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joint (joint between the cannon bone and the long pastern bone [phalanx I]) in ungulates.

Tail Head

Base of the tail where it connects to the body.

Toe

Cranial end of the hoof.

horn butt

site of previous horn growth on the poll region of the head between the eyes and ears

forearm

part of the foreleg supported by the radius and the ulna, between the elbow and the knee

knee

carpal bones (mid-lower front legs) carpus in ungulates

heel (bulb)

the rear or caudal region of the hoof

wattle

appendages suspended from the head

hooks

prostrusion of the wing of the ilium on the dorsal-lateral area of the ruminants

pins

protrusion of the ischium bones just lateral to the base of the tail in ruminants

stifle

corresponds to the human knee, the joint connecting femorotibial and femoropatellar joint in quadrupeds

chine

thoracic region of the back

coffin joint

distal interphalangeal joint (joint between the short pastern and coffin bones)

withers

region over the dorsum where the neck joins the thorax and where the dorsal margins of the scapula lie just below the skin

pedal

pertaining to the foot

Brisket

Mass of connective tissue, muscle, and fat covering the cranioventral part of the ruminant chest between the forelegs.

Cannon Bone

Third and fourth metacarpal (metatarsal) of the ruminant (not commonly used) also called the shin bone.

Coffin bone

Distal interphalangeal joint (joint between the short pastern and coffin bones [phalanges II and III, respectively]) in ungulates.

Crest

Dorsal margin of the neck. root of the mane

Dewlap

Loose skin under the throat and neck, which may become pendulous in some breeds.

Forehead

Region of the head between the eyes and ears.

Heart girth

Circumference of the chest just caudal to the shoulders and cranial to the back.

Hoof

Hard covering of the digit in ungulates.

Hoof wall

Hard; horny outer layer of the covering of the digit in ungulates.

Loin

Lumbar region of the back, between the thorax and pelvis.

Paralumbar fossa

Hollow area of the flank whose boundaries are the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae (dorsally), the last rib (cranially), and the thigh muscles (caudally).

Poll

Top of the head; occiput; nuchal crest; dorsal surface of the cranium

Shoulder

region around the large joint between the head of the humerus and a cavity of the scapula

Stifle joint

Femorotibial and femoropatellar joint in quadrupeds.

Switch

Tuft of hair at the end of the tail.

Teat

Nipple of mammary gland.

Udder

Mammary gland.