My dog's rib cage looks large or is getting bigger. Should I worry?

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 !

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!

Pictures may help but this sounds like it may be a birth defect or injury and xrays may be required to assess fully what is going on. I would recommend an urgent vet check if there is any weakness, reduced growth rate compared to the others or panting/rapid breathing

Tony is a good looking pup! Most dogs with this breed will have a large, deep chest and a more narrow waist. You should also be able to see the last rib when they turn. Some dogs do naturally run more thin. If you are seeing more than the last rib, try increasing the food intake or changing to food to a higher calorie diet (you can find information about the calories on the side of the package). I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Nala. Hard to tell from just one picture but I see the protrusion of the rib cage. The last rib on the rib cage is what we call a "floating rib" because it doesn't connect to the sternum or breastbone. This protrusion looks more towards the front of the rib cage in this picture. The best advice here is to let your veterinarian take a detailed history and perform a complete physical exam. They may advise some chest x-rays to evaluate the structure of the ribs and look for any problems. Some rib cage abnormalities are not significant and some are. It just depends on their severity and what exactly the abnormality is. It's possible some injury occurred during birth or playing to account for this. Really hard to tell at this point. I would let your vet check this out and I would do it ASAP if this is something that just came on suddenly and Nala has any degree of breathing problems. Good luck and I hope this is just a structural problem and won't lead to any health problems.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to know without being able to see Timber. However, it is possible that this means that he needs to gain a bit of weight as usually ribs sticking out is one of the criteria veterinarians use to determine the body conditions score of a patient. Perhaps make sure that Timber is being fed the needed caloric intake based on his specific information which takes into account the breed, activity level, age, among other things. This is something your veterinarian can calculate for you with some additional information. Good luck and have a great day!