Dog body scoring

Dog Body Condition Scoring

What is body condition scoring?

Body condition scoring was developed as a way to standardise the assessment of whether animals are underweight or overweight. It is based on a scale running from 1-9 where 1 is an emaciated animal and 9 is grossly obese. The place on the scale on which the animal falls is determined by assessing several criteria. These are:

– How easily felt the ribs are

– How obvious the waist and abdominal tuck are

– How much excess fat is beneath the skin?

– How much muscle mass is present

Why is body condition scoring useful?

Body condition scoring allows vets and animal owners to easily share this information with one another. It has been shown that the body condition score is related to the percentage above which dogs are overweight and consequently can be used to suggest a target weight for dieting overweight dogs. Since even within individual breeds there are a range of shapes and sizes that dogs come in, body condition score allows target weights to be tailor made rather than just suggesting the breed average.

There are a number of diseases that dogs can get where the risk or severity is worsened if the animal is obese. Body condition scoring can be used to define those animals at risk. For more information on the risks associated with obesity, please see our leaflet on the risks of obesity in dogs.

So where does weighing fit in with body condition scoring?

Whilst body condition scoring is excellent for assessing broadly whether a dog is the correct weight or not it is not as fine grained a measure as weighing your dog is. Many dog foods specify guideline amounts to feed based on weight. However, some of the veterinary prescription diets base the recommendations for amounts fed on both the weight and body condition, so these two measures can be used in conjunction.

Weighing is also useful whilst your dog is on a diet since this allows allows a precise measure of the progress made whilst on the diet. Rate of weight loss recommendations are based on percentage body weight lost per week so having a record of bodyweight is important.

How often should I condition score my dog?

In situations where your dog is having their weight checked regularly, it is useful to condition score your dog at the same time that they are weighed. Having the weight and

The condition score side by side allows adjustment of diet and target weight so that they continue to be appropriate for your dog.