Even though the tiny Chihuahua has the same number and type of bones as the Great Dane, the size and shape of their bones are very different. Since people have been breeding dogs for hundreds of years, bones vary greatly in their length and thickness depending on the specific breed.

Not all dogs have the exact same size and shape to their bones.

Visceral skeleton – bone that forms part of an organ (such as the middle ear ossicles)īones are organs composed of hard, mineralized tissue that provide structural support to the body.Axial skeleton – the bones of the skull, spine, ribs and sternum.Appendicular skeleton – the bones of the limbs.The skeleton is composed of three skeletal subunits: What Is the General Structure of the Canine Skeleton? The skeleton is located throughout the entire head and body. The dog skeleton has an average of 319 bones. For example, a dog’s shoulder blades are not tightly connected to its skeleton, so the dog has potential for greater motion and flexibility. The skeleton is composed of the hard tissues of the body, and its primary functions are to support the body, to provide a system of levers used in locomotion, to protect the soft organs of the body, and to produce red blood cells (hematopoiesis).Ī dog’s skeleton is formed so the dog can run fast, hunt and chase. It consists of bones, ligaments, and cartilage. The skeleton is the bony framework of the body that is present in all vertebrate animals, including dogs. We will tell you about the general structure of skeleton, how bones work in dogs, common diseases that affect the skeleton and common diagnostic tests performed in dogs to evaluate the skeleton.

Below is information about the structure and function of the canine skeleton.

Flat bone description