From the side you should be able to see a “tuck” to the abdomen starting where the chest ends and going up toward the hips. In fluffy pets, you should be able to feel it or see it when they are wet. There should be a visible “waist” behind the rib cage. You can practice on your hand: Make a fist: The knuckles are 3/9, and the backs of your fingers where your rings would sit is a perfect 5/9 now open your hand, palm up: the knuckles where your fingers meet your palm is a 7/9 and the middle of you palm is a 9/9. There are some exceptions for very lean body type dogs such as greyhounds. If you see your pet’s ribs very easily from across the room, they are too thin with a BCS of 3 or less. On the other side, if you can very easily feel the ribs and just barely see them, that’s a 4 out of 9. If you can’t find those ribs at all, you’re looking at BCS of 8 or 9 out of 9. If you have to really work to find the ribs with your finger tips, that’s a 7 or 8 out of 9. If you need to use the tips of your fingers, but can still find the ribs easily, your pet is closer to a 6 out of 9. To determine your pet’s body condition score, you will need to evaluate the ribs, waist, and hips: RibsĪt an ideal body condition, you will be able to feel your pet’s ribs easily with flat fingers.
For example, a dog with body condition score (BCS) of 7 out of 9 is approximately 20 percent overweight.
For every number above 5, your pet is an extra 10 percent overweight. On the opposite side of scale, a BCS of 9 means an animal is severely overweight, covered in fat, and at risk for suffering from arthritis and diabetes to name a few complications of obesity. A BCS of 1 means an animal is severely underweight, probably in danger of death from starvation.
A BCS can range from 1 to 9 (though some hospitals use a 1 to 5 scale). Have you ever wondered if your cat or dog is overweight? You probably know evaluating your furry companion’s weight and making recommendations about weight loss and nutrition are part of your pet’s annual physical exam, but did you know you can easily evaluate your pet’s body condition at home between visits?Ī body condition score (BCS) is a number assigned to your pet based on evaluation of fat at a few key locations on their body.
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