My senior dog feels bony. Is muscle loss normal for her age?

Question

When Karina was having tummy and weight issues we started her on HILL SCIENCE METABOLIC food...she is at a GOOD weight for her age (just turned 13)...she is 9.6 lbs and all labs are perfect. She is active, happy and healthy. My QUESTION: She is losing muscle. She "feels" so boney. Ribs and shoulder blade etc... Is that normal? Should I add a treat protein fat food maybe 1x a week ?? Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Female | spayed | 13 years old | 12.5 lbs

Debi Matlack · Accepted Answer

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

My senior dog feels bony. Is muscle loss normal for her age?

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