I was wondering about the thyroid function as well.
As far as the vertibrae- of course- you can feel most of them on my breed, but that is the breed as well.
Nutrical works very well- without adding too much food into the stomach which can cause- gas, bloating, loose stools from too much etc. When we got femka, she was easily 10 pounds underweight- and that was a low estimate. It was her thyroid and with that a slight increase in food, nutracal, and medication- she gained 15 pounds and looks great. Now you can only feel the ribs, verses before you could see the ribs through her coat. Other than weight loss- signs for thyroid problems are- cold behavior ( looking for warmth, dry coat or a dusty look to the coat, and dry skin. Previously, if you put a towel or blanket on Femka she would sleep under it for hours- now if you do the same- she moves within 10 minutes..
If you get the thyroid tested, have them send it to a full lab like Michigan State. They can also be " symtomatic " meaning they are showing the signs of this disorder, but the tests come back borderline or low ranges of normal..