Should a dogs ribbs be showing?

Question

So if you dont know me, i live part time in Switzerland. I see many people parading around their dogs downtown with their ribs showing (of many different breeds). They dont look like they are really starving. But After watching "Animal Cops" i thought that it meant the dog was being underfed. Is this true???

Answer 1

It depends on the breed, but usually seeing the ribs means that the dog is being underfed. Breeds like Whippets, Italian Greyhounds, Greyhounds, etc. (basically all of the sighthounds) do have a tendency to be a little lean so you see the ribs, but you should only be able to see the last few ribs not all of them.

Answer 2

This truly dependso n the breed and needs to be looked at along with things like muscle mass and other points on the body. If the backbone on the dog shows and you can see jip bones poking out on the top of the back then yes the dog it to thin.
However ribs outlines alone are not enough to say it is being underfed. On my working Weims you can see a very slight outline of ribs. And they are being fed plenty but they are worked hard and tend to be very fit and lean. I watch their weight very carefully.
Many people are not as picky about what they feed and the dog may not be getting all the nutrition it needs. But look at other points also and if they are very thin then yeah it most likley a problem.

Answer 3

You should be able to see the last rib going towards the stomach and feel all the ribs without having to do major surgery. Muscle mass is a better indicator of the nutritional state of the dog as well as that of a human. Fat dogs are not healthy.

Answer 4

Is that your Vizsla? Good looking dog. Working dogs like Vizsla, Danes, Greyhounds etc...are meant to be lean. Seeing a lab's ribs the same way you'd see one of the aboves ribs is cause for concern. So it basically depends on the breed.

Answer 5

Depends on the breed and how much the ribs are showing. You certainly want to be able to tell that there are ribs just by looking.

Most dogs is North America are too fat.

Answer 6

I was concerned when my two looked really slim, but when we went for their annual checkup the vet told me they were in great shape. Other than certain breeds....you're supposed to be able to feel the dogs ribs, but only see them when they breathe in deeply or lay flat on their sides, etc. It may be the dogs that they are walking are breeds that naturally have ribs showing or they are in great shape. Most people who starve their animals, don't care enough about them to take them for walks around town. Generally if they're not feeding them, they're not doing anything else with them either.

Answer 7

Ribs showing is a sign of being underweight EXCEPT in certain breeds - greyhounds, great danes, lurchers and whippets. These are naturally lean dogs.

I hope all the people in Switzerland own greyhounds and danes and the like or I'll have to come over there and sort them all out!

Chalice

Answer 8

Depends on the kind of dog but really I think the only one that it is normal is a grayhound,
I voulteer at an animal hospital and I have learned that ribs showing is not good. They need to feed their dogs

Answer 9

porbably yes you should notice a little bit of the dog's ribbs but not alot then that means that the dog is starving and needs food. in big bluky dogs u should not see any of the ribbs showing but you can feel the ribbs to make sure that the ribbs are not showing .

Answer 10

A healthy, well exercised dog's ribs can be felt when you run your hand along their side. And yes, in many breeds you can see their ribs.

A better sign of malnutrition is lack of muscle mass.

The reason many dogs' ribs aren't visible is that they are overfed and under exercised. But it really is breed specific. Running breeds yes, working breeds not so much etc...