Just like people, dogs, cats and rabbits come in all shapes and sizes, and weight alone is not a good measure to see if your pet is healthy. By looking at your pet’s overall shape, and getting ‘hands on’, you can get a much better idea of whether your pet is doing well, needs to put weight on, or if they might be carrying a few extra kilograms.
Body condition scores mainly involve looking at and feeling the ribs and waist, and guideline charts like those below can help you assess what you are seeing and place your pet on the body condition score scale. If you aren’t sure – ask your vet or nurse! They will be more than happy to talk you through body condition scoring, and help you plan your pet’s nutrition.
Useful links:
The right nutrition for your dog
The right nutrition for your cat
The right nutrition for your rabbit
Obesity in pets