There is a huge epidemic of Pet Obesity in the Western world sadly, with many pet parents so used to seeing obese dogs that they don't realise they are obese, it has become the norm. This blog will help you to understand how to assess your dogs body condition so that you can recognise issues and adjust the situation before it worsens
What is Body Condition Scoring?
Body condition scoring is known as BCS. It is a method designed by vets as they recognised dogs, just like people, come in all manner of shapes and sizes so a target weight is not the best measure of health.
BCS allows medical professionals, paraprofessionals & pet parents to assess dogs, and identify areas for concern before it becomes a major issues in many cases.
Using a BCS chart with 9 grades is best to thoroughly understand the condition of a dog.
The ideal perfect score from a 9 grade chart is a 5, which is mid-range, however some dogs will comfortably sit at a 4 or a 6 throughout the year with no major concerns flagged so these generally are seen as "ok / not bad"
BCS 1 - 3 = Underweight
BCS 4 = Very lean
BCS 5 = Perfect
BCS 6 = A little overweight
BCS 7 - 9 = Overweight
Why is Body Condition Scoring important?
The western world has a tendency to see overweight dogs as being well loved as they are fed a lot, and most of us find it hard to say no to those big beautiful puppy dog eyes wanting more food.
Many pet parents do not weigh their pets unless they are visiting the vets, and this can mean a whole 12 months of weight issues, or longer, before anyone knows there is an issue.
What is the impact of excess weight?
It is a common misconception that a dogs health is "fine" if they are overweight, as pet parents cannot see what is happening inside the dogs body.
In fact, overweight dogs have a significantly higher chance of developing:
Arthritis & other joint diseases
Breathing difficulties (particularly in, though not only in, Brachycephalic Breeds)
Cancer
Injuries
and much more!
Body Condition Scoring Chart
How to improve your dogs body condition score?
The most important step to take is to ensure that no matter what you feed your dog, that you take them for a yearly check up as a bear minimum with a local veterinarian. Many health conditions can affect our dogs but are invisible to the untrained eye, so a regular vet check can help to increase the chances of early detection and therefore treatment or even cure before medical conditions advance.
If you, or a professional or paraprofessional assesses their score as showing they need to lose or gain weight, it is absolutely crucial that you visit a vet to rule our any medical causes before embarking on any plans to improve the BCS
See our blogs on weight issues for more information:
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