# Sternum bone



## The Fussy Puppy Gang (May 21, 2007)

Pepper's sternum bone sticks out from his chest. It's noticeable when I'm combing him, and very noticeable when he's wet. Today was bath day and I was really obsessing on it. 

Is it normal for the bone to protrude like that?

Wanda


----------



## CapotesMom (Apr 3, 2007)

omg..I thought I was the only one! lol. Capote's sticks out a lot too and I was going to write up a thing on here when I had the time.. let's see if anyone elses does too..maybe it's a puppy thing?


----------



## Beamer (Jan 29, 2007)

Beamer has all sorts of thing sticking out all over the place.. lol.. im sure its just a puppy thing..


----------



## The Fussy Puppy Gang (May 21, 2007)

Okay, at least I feel a little better. Pepper's about a year old, so I'm hoping that this bump is normal for the breed. I went around checking all our goldens and didn't find a single one with a bumpy chest :suspicious: .

If anyone knows whether this is a common feature, please let me know. 

Wanda


----------



## radar_jones (May 6, 2007)

I wonder would this be similar to the bones in the head of an infant? When they are young the bones have not fully knit together and they are very soft in the middle. Perhaps the same can be said about the Havanese when they are puppies and their bones have not become fully strengthened.


----------



## KristinFusco (Jun 5, 2007)

This is a great thread! 

Lito is 2 1/2, and he has a bony chest bone as well. I figured it was normal for the breed since he is an adult, and before he was neutered and placed with us he finished his championship under Kimberly at Havtahava, and I guess if it was abnormal for them to have a pronounced sternum judges would have noticed it and not given him points. So I think it is just a characteristic of the breed maybe? One of the breeders would probably have a better idea than I would (and be able to explain it better  )

~Kristin


----------



## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Yes, you should be able to feel the sternum (or at least the prosternum - the foremost point on the sternum) on a Havanese.


----------



## dboudreau (Jan 12, 2007)

Here is a skeletal diagram of a Havanese to help understand all those pointy bones.


----------



## KristinFusco (Jun 5, 2007)

Thanks Kimberly and Debbie!

Cool diagram!

~Kristin and Lito


----------



## whitBmom (Nov 27, 2006)

Thanks Debbie for the diagram - actually that's pretty much how Oreo looks when he is having a bath. Unbelievable how tiny they are.


----------



## The Fussy Puppy Gang (May 21, 2007)

Thank you Kimberly and Debbie! The prosternum is exactly what I'm seeing and feeling. 

I feel SO much better! :whoo: That diagram shows it perfectly.

Wanda


----------



## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

I just gave Gucci a bath and noticed hers. Thanks for posting the diagram! Very cool.

Kara


----------



## Jane (Jun 2, 2007)

Yeah, my hubby thinks they looks like mini-greyhounds when they are wet!

Great diagram, Debbie!

Jane


----------



## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Frontend movement is more efficient if the prosternum does protrude out to the front a bit. When our daughter was little she used to call this a "chicken bone" since she was used to handling chickens too.


----------



## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

That's a really neat diagram! :eyebrows:


----------

