Here at the Watertown Animal Hospital we consider the Body Condition Score (BCS) an important part of every visit. Keeping an eye on what it is should not just be done once or twice a year. It tells us whether your pet is too thin, too heavy, or just right. Any changes to the Body Condition Score throughout the year can be a sign something else is going on or put them at risk of some medical conditions such as diabetes, liver disease, etc. It also can be helpful to assess progress when your pet is trying to lose weight. Ideally the Body Condition Score should be checked monthly at home. Here are some tips for checking at home.
- Determine a body condition score with your hands not your eyes.
- Use your fingers, hands flat. Press lightly, gently rub down the side of the pet’s body while feeling its ribs.
- the skin should feel like a t-shirt covering the ribs, not a sweatshirt or a parka.
COMPARE WHAT YOU FEEL ON THE ANIMALS RIBS TO THIS:
- Make a fist and feel over your knuckles. If the pet’s ribs feel like your knuckles….the animal is too thin.
- Now open your fist and feel the top of your knuckles. If the pet’s ribs feels like that…..it’s just right.
- Now turn your hand over, palm up and feel the base of your fingers. If the pet’s ribs feel like that….the animal is overweight.
The ribs and hips should be the widest part of the body; waistline the narrowest.
Below please find a link to a pdf of the cat and dog body conditioning score. It is a scale of 1 to 9