Is my senior pitbull's head caving in normal? Is it muscle atrophy?

It appears that Hunter is losing his temporal muscles, which is giving that caved-in head appearance. Considering he is also sensitive to the area, I am suscipicious of a condition known as masticatory myositis https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/masticatory-myositis-in-dogs However, this could be due to general muscle wasting. It's expected that some muscle wasting will occur as they age, but if he seems to be losing a lot of muscle, then this could indicate a chronic disease from an infection or cancer. I don't want you to worry about Hunter having a terrible disease, but it's best to have him evaluated by a veterinarian. They will be able to tell if there are any potential major problems and can help narrow-down the cause of this. I hope that helps and Hunter gets better soon.

The reason you are noticing that the top of his head is more prominent is because of muscle wasting of the head muscles. This is a common in older dogs and often times it can be due to cancer. The "cone" or pointiness of the head is the occipital bone. I suggest you get Sammy to your vet for an exam. They can give you better advice since they can get a hands-on examination. I can only guess by looking at a photo. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

There are a condition called masticatory muscle myositis in dogs that can cause this to happen (see link below). I don't know how the breathing rate could be related to this condition, though. I think as long as Rocky is able to eat well and has a good energy level, he could wait until next week. If he develops additional symptoms, though, he may need to see the vet sooner. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&catId=102899&id=4952111

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ludo. I am not sure about what you mean that your dog has lost 7 legs. As far as his head though, he appears to have significant muscle wasting. This can occur secondary to longterm steroid use, generalized muscle loss due to aging or an inflammatory muscle disorder known as myositis. When the last condition occurs, the dog can have difficulty opening it's jaw. Unfortunately, he will need testing to know for sure. I hope this information helps!

I'm wondering if Mopar is suffering from masticatory muscle myositis. This is an immune system disorder in which the dog's immune system identifies the dog's own muscle tissue as foreign and attacks it. This causes the sunken in appearance on the face. Because he has a good appetite, I think it's fine to wait until Monday to have him seen but do not wait any longer than that. I hope this helps!

If the patches appear to be normal hair then I would not worry about it too much. He may be getting some gray hair which is completely normal as a dog ages. If however there are patches of hair loss or Magoo seems excessively itchy in these areas then he may be having an issue with allergies.

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