Is it normal to feel my dog's chest bone and ribs when petting?

That is completely normal and sometimes could be more prominent. Nothing to be worried about. 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.

Hello, and thanks for your question! From the photos, I do not think Ivan looks underweight. It is difficult for me to say for sure though without putting my hands on him. What you can do is run your hands along his rib cage. If you can feel his ribs with a bit of fat around them, then he is in good shape. This should feel similar to running your fingers along the back of your hand. If you cannot feel that bit of fat around his ribs, or if his ribs are clearly visible from a distance, then he may be underweight. I hope this helps, and that Ivan is otherwise happy and healthy!

He looks like a great weight actually. The shape of the bones in the spine in that area is what makes those bones extra prominent. There are very tall dorsal processes. Check out this link for more information about body condition score: http://www.thedrakecenter.com/services/pets/blog/fit-or-fat-your-pets-body-condition-score-bcs

No, you should not be able to see every bone. A normal healthy weight dog should not appear boney. You should be able to feel the ribs with your hands, but not see them. I'm not sure the age of this puppy, but reasons for poor weight gain can be improper amount of food, poor quality food or parasite problems.

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!

From the photos, he looks just fine. You should be able to feel his ribs. If you can see them, he is too thin. If you have shaved his coat for the summer to keep him cooler, please know that a dog's coat insulates against heat as well as cold, so there is no need to do it. The full coat also is some protection against mosquito and tick bites.

You should be able to feel the bones with gentle pressure over the ribs and spine. Without a photo, I can't say by looking what kind of body condition she has, but from the description above twelve pounds is a good-size Chihuahua. This chart may help you visualize if she is underweight or not. https://www.aaha.org/public_documents/professional/guidelines/weightmgmt_bodyconditionscoring.pdf