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Association for Pet Obesity Prevention
Dr. Ernie Ward, President
9256 Beach Drive
Calabash, North Carolina 28467
910-579-5550 phone
910-575-3191 fax |
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How to Tell if Your Pet is a
Healthy Weight
- Ribs are easily felt
- Tucked abdomen – no sagging stomach
- Waist when viewed from above
Your Pet is Overweight if…
- Difficult to feel ribs under fat
- Sagging stomach – you can grab
a
handful of fat!
- Broad, flat back
- No waist
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Body Condition Scoring
There
are two common body condition score (BCS) systems used by
veterinarians to help determine a pet's ideal weight. One is based
on a scale of 1 to 9 (1=emaciated, 9=morbidly obese) and the other
is a 1 to 5 scale (1=emaciated, 5=obese). We prefer a 1 to 5 scale
because of its simplicity. Whatever scale you use, be sure to ask
your veterinarian to perform a BCS on your pet during each
examination.
1
- Ribs, spine and bony
protrusions are easily seen at a distance. These pets have lost
muscle mass and there is no observable body fat. Emaciated, bony,
and starved in appearance.
2
- Ribs, spine and other bones
are easily felt. These pets have an obvious waist when viewed from
above and an abdominal tuck. Thin, lean or skinny in appearance.
3
- Ribs and spine are easily felt but not necessarily seen. There is
a waist when viewed from above and the abdomen is raised and not
sagging when viewed from the side. Normal, ideal, and often muscular
in appearance.
4
- Ribs and spine are hard to feel or count underneath fat deposits.
Waist is distended or often pear-shaped when viewed from above. The
abdomen sags when seen from the side. There are typically fat
deposits on the hips, base of tail and chest. Overweight, heavy,
husky or stout.
5
- Large fat deposits over the chest, back, tail base and
hindquarters. The abdomen sags prominently and there is no waist
when viewed from above. The chest and abdomen often appear distended
or swollen. Obese.
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