Bones Sticking Out on the Top of an Older Lab's Head

The bones you are feeling were probably always there. What usually changes is the muscle that covers them. The large chewing muscles on the top and sides of a dog's head can shrink, and then the ridge down the middle of the skull and the bony arches behind the eyes suddenly stand out like handles.

In older dogs, this muscle loss can come from general aging and weight loss, but it can also be a sign of an immune condition that targets the chewing muscles (masticatory muscle myositis), a nerve problem, hormone diseases such as Cushing's disease or low thyroid, or other illness. When the loss is on one side only, a nerve problem or something pressing on a nerve is more likely.

Please book a vet visit. Ask your vet to check her weight and muscle all over, her jaw opening and eyes, and to run blood tests. There is a specific blood test for the chewing-muscle condition, and early treatment helps. Go sooner if she has trouble opening her mouth, pain when eating, or her eyes look sunken or different.

See neurological problems in dogs.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.