Just like the human population, there has been an increasing number of animals who are classified as overweight. One research study in 2010 produced findings that almost 60% of the respondents owned an overweight or obese animal. Being overweight can negatively impact the health of our pets and can predispose them to a number of diseases, including arthritis, heart disease and some types of cancer. Recognising that your pet is overweight is the first step along the path to helping them on their journey to a healthy weight.
Body condition scoring is something commonly practiced by veterinarians when examining animals. It is where your pet is given a score based on how easily their ribs can be felt, the shape of their body and if any deposits of fat can be felt over their body. This takes into account the size and breed of your animal, so it is a more accurate way of gauging their condition and whether they should be considered ‘overweight’ or not. Whilst body condition scoring is more individualised to your pet, tracking weight is also very useful, and is the best way of recording progress towards a goal weight or maintaining an ideal weight. Together, body condition scoring and regular weight check ins can help get your pet’s weight back on track and within their ideal range.
How can I tell if my pet is their ideal weight?
The ideal body condition will vary slightly between different breeds of dog in particular, less so with other species, however the main features that we look for are always the same. A dog with ideal body condition will…
- Have ribs that are not visible but are easy to feel with a light amount of pressure
- Have a visible waist when standing
- Have a slightly ‘tucked up’ abdomen in front of their back legs.
One example of a group of breeds assessed slightly differently are ‘sight hounds’ (greyhounds, lurchers and whippets). They will often have visible ribs even if they are in ideal body condition, so this is taken into account when giving them a score.
A cat in ideal body condition will…
- Have ribs that are not visible but are easy to feel with a light amount of pressure
- Have a visible waist when standing
- Not necessarily have a ‘tucked up’ abdomen in front of their back legs, as they often have some extra skin in this area.
How can I tell if my pet is overweight?
We can tell relatively easily if an animal is over their ideal weight. Your animal may be overweight if…
- Their ribs require more than a light amount of pressure to be felt or if you cannot feel them at all
- They do not have a visible waist whilst standing
- They have excess fat causing their abdomen to no longer appear ‘tucked up’ in front of their back legs
- Fat has accumulated in areas it would not normally (such as the lower back or around the neck).
If one or more of these signs are present, then it is likely that your pet is overweight.
How can I tell if my pet is underweight?
Similarly to how we tell if a pet is over their ideal weight, it is relatively easy to tell if they are underweight as well. In dogs and cats that are under their ideal weight, you will be able to feel their ribs with little to no pressure, or you may even be able to see them, they will have an extremely prominent waistline and a more obviously ‘tucked up’ abdomen in front of their back legs. Sometimes, cats with extra skin in this area will make this harder to detect. You may also notice changes in other areas of their body, particularly around their face and their spine, where the bones may protrude more than normal.
What should I do if my pet is not their ideal weight?
In both cases, whether your pet is over or under their ideal weight, it would be a good idea to go for a consultation with your local veterinarian, as they will be able to professionally assess your animal and confirm if they are over or under their ideal weight.
There are a number of causes of pets being overweight and underweight, including incorrect feeding if an animal who has a higher or lower energy demand than might be expected, dysfunction of some of their organs, particularly the kidneys in older cats that are losing weight, hormonal conditions, such as an overactive thyroid which will cause weight loss in cats, or an underactive thyroid in dogs which will cause weight gain, and some types of cancer.
Your local veterinarian may want to perform some investigations into the cause of your pet’s weight gain or loss, but they can also provide you with information and tips about how to correct your pets weight and if they have any special requirements, including if a prescription diet may be beneficial for them. Some veterinary practices also offer weight clinics, where a veterinary nurse or technician will help you work through the causes of your pet’s weight changes and provide regular check-ins so that their weight can be tracked over time.
There are also a number of online resources that can help you learn more about body condition scoring your animals and further information around the topic and may be helpful to you along your journey to getting your pet to their ideal weight.
This link will take you to Purina’s body condition tool to provide you more information, and this link will take you to an article by Hill’s about body condition scoring.
