Is the bone I feel on my dog's belly, near his ribs, normal?

Yes, that is all normal. His weight appears fine in this photo. The biggest problem in pet dogs is obesity so it is preferable for them to be their ideal weight or just a bit underweight. I would not be worried. Great question!

Hi ! Thank you for reaching .The area you are concerned about is a bit swollen, so I think it would be wise to have Tony checked over during normal routine hours. It might not be anything to worry about but I think it is better to have a feel of Tony’s tummy and perhaps have an ultrasound done to understand a bit better what is going on. Hope this helps !

If this lump is at the bottom of his rib cage, what you may be feeling on Buster is his xyphoid process. This is a normal part of a dog's anatomy, and not something to be concerned about at all. If you are concerned, you can always take Buster into the vet to have it examined.

Opie looks pretty normal in the pictures. It may be that he's just getting a bit overweight. If he's breathing normally, not panting while resting and calm, has good energy and appetite, then it's probably ok to watch it and just keep an eye on his weight. If he's doing anything funny, or you just have a bad feeling about it, it's worthwhile to have a quick exam to make sure it's normal. Good luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Precious. Definitely ask her veterinarian about it tomorrow. If it feels firm like bone, you could be feeling the edge of a rib or her sternum. I have had patients with abnormally shaped ribs where you can feel a protrusion on one side, but not the other. She could also have a mass under her skin. In this case, her veterinarian will want to test it prior to her dental. If it is potentially cancerous, it could be removed at the same time. I hope this information helps!

I can't really tell you anything specific about your dog's spine without seeing radiographs. However, there is a huge amount of normal variation in anatomy with all animals, including us. Do not panic. If your dog is having any kind of orthopedic problem, he will likely express pain or discomfort when you press gently on these vertebrae or on both sides of his back along the large epaxial muscles that follow along the dorsal midline. If this all seems ok, and if he is not limping, and is able to run, walk, sit up, jump up, and play normally, he is likely just fine, and the way his spine feels is normal for him. If he drags any limb when he walks, or seems to walk like he is "drunk", or seems paralyzed in any way, then I would be concerned.

This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign (very common hystiocytoma for example) or more sinister type of tumors (unlikely given the age). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!