My aunt's dog seems to have a bone or something sticking out right in the middle by her ribs which seems to me to be her xiphoid process. My mom and dad told me about it a few weeks ago, and I said that if she didn't seem in pain, maybe she was sitting the wrong way and her floating ribs were sticking out or something. So, my aunt took her to the vet and told her about it, but the vet didn't see or feel anything. So the vet said that I was correct and they were probably her floating ribs and she was sitting funny. Nobody has felt this "bone" since.
WELL...yesterday I was over my mom's and she told me that this "bone" was sticking out again. I yelled out a holy sh*t. It was popping out!!! I laid her on her tummy and BAM. I couldn't believe it. To me it seemed to be her xiphoid process sticking out. I touched it and it gave a little, but she wasn't in pain or anything. I told my aunt to take Zoie back and get an x-ray b/c this is not in the least bit normal. Of course she was all upset and said-but it disappears. She was right. Zoie jumped off the couch and I felt her again, and it wasn't popping out.
I know that bones can't be swollen, but what the heck do you think is wrong? Is it fractured or something? If anyone has a clue, I'd love to know.
Thank you, and sorry for the long read!
Ps. For the non-medical (so you don't have to search Google
)-On the bottom of your rib cage (humans and dogs) you have "floating" ribs. They don't really float, they are just not connected to your sternum (middle of rib cage). The xiphoid process is the bottom part of the sternum that comes to a point. If you've ever taken CPR about 10+ years ago they used to tell you to avoid the xiphoid process when you do compressions.