Do You Know Your Pet's Body Condition Score?

Vikinggirl

Norwegian Rose
Community Veteran
Oct 8, 2012
9,740
597
Burlington, ON Canada
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Bulldog(s) Names
Bulldozer and Blossom
The Body Condition Score is a system for determining your Pet's weight. Since dogs and cats can vary in size, even within a breed utilizing the Body Condition Scoring system focuses more on shape than weight. Simply weighing your pet doesn't necessarily let you know if your pet is underweight or overweight. Global Pet Foods recommends using the Body Condition Score System in conjunction with weighing your pet. Once your pet reaches their ideal weight utilizing the Body Condition Score System, monthly monitoring of their weight helps to ensure that your pet's ideal body condition is being maintained.

The Body Condition system ranges from underweight to ideal to overweight, and is based on a visual and hands-on-examination of your pet. The first step in deciding whether your dog is overweight is to know what his ideal body weight looks like. Compare your dog's figure to the chart to find out whether your dog is overweight, underweight, or at the ideal weight.


What's your Pet's Score?


1). VERY THIN

-Ribs, spine, and bony protusions are easily seen from a distance.

-You won't feel fat or muscle when you feel the ribs.

-The pet looks bony, emancipated and starved.

2). UNDERWEIGHT

-Ribs, spine and bony protusions are easily felt with little fat or muscle.

-The pet has a small tucked stomach, as well as a waist (hourglass shape) when viewed from
above.

-The pet looks thin, skinny or lean.

-It's recommended to increase the pet's calories or balance their nutrition to help them reach
an ideal weight.

3). IDEAL WEIGHT

-ribs, spine, and other bones are easily felt, but not easily seen.

-You can feel some body fat and muscle over the ribs.

-These pets have an obvious well-proportioned waist when viewed from above. The abdomen is
raised and not sagging.

-The pet looks healthy and somewhat muscular.

4). OVERWEIGHT

-You have difficulty feeling or counting the ribs, spine and other bones underneath the fat.

You'll feel fat on the hips, chest, and base of tail.

-These pets have a pear-shaped waist when viewed from above.

The abdomen sags when looking at the pet from the side.

-The pet looks overweight, heavy, or husky.

5). OBESE

-You cannot feel the ribs, spine, or other bones due to the large amounts of fat tissue.

-These pets have no waist, but but have a broad back when viewed from above.

-The abdomen significantly sags when looking at the pet from the side.

-The pet looks tired, finds it difficult to walk, run, or do any other type of exercise due to
their heavy weight.
 

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schimpfy

The yabba dabba do donkey swattin' broom swingin'
Community Veteran
Feb 10, 2014
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Vancouver British Columbia
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Canada
Bulldog(s) Names
Chance
According to these guide Lines he is ideal, so glad wish I could say the same about me
 

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