Paired ribs are attached to each thoracic vertebra against which they move in breathing. Each rib is attached ventrally either to the sternum or to the rib in front by cartilage to form the rib cage that protects the heart and lungs. In dogs one pair of ribs is not attached ventrally at all. They are called floating ribs.
Sometimes these floating ribs do not lay in line with the rest of the ribs and they "stick out". While not desirable, they cause no real harm to the health of the dog. They are just unsightly.
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