Overweight dogs and cats are becoming increasingly common and often pet owners truly do not realize that their pet is overweight or even obese. An opposite but equally serious situation is the underweight dog or cat.
One of the biggest obstacles to determining the proper body weight of dogs and cats is a lack of understanding of how the dog or cat should look when at the proper body weight. In truth, body weight by itself cannot be used to determine whether a dog or cat is overweight or underweight. The animal's body condition is far more important in diagnosing an overweight or underweight pet. Every dog or cat should have a body condition evaluation and receive a body condition score. This body condition score is used to indicate whether the body condition of the pet is ideal, and consequently whether the pet is overweight or underweight.
The Ideal Body Condition and Body Weight for Dogs and Cats
Body condition may be scored on a scale of one to five with a body condition score of three being ideal, or on a scale of one to nine with a body condition score of five being ideal. The ideal body condition score will also reveal the ideal body weight of the pet.
The dog or cat with an ideal body condition score will have ribs which can be felt easily without a large amount of fat between skin and ribs. There will be a waist evident behind the rib cage when the pet is viewed from above. In dogs, there will be a tuck in the abdomen which raises upward toward the legs. In cats, there will be a minimal fat pad over the abdomen.
The Overweight Dog or Cat
The overweight pet may range from being slightly overweight to being grossly obese. Body condition scores increase with severity, with either five or nine being grossly obese, depending on the scale being used. Body condition scores above the ideal indicate a need for weight loss.
If the dog or cat is overweight, the ribs become more difficult to feel and the waist begins to disappear. The abdominal tuck will become more difficult to visualize in dogs. In cats, the abdominal fat pad begins to increase in size. As the obesity becomes more severe, the abdominal tuck and the waist disappear completely. In addition, particularly in dogs, fat deposits will begin to be visible over the back and at the base of the tail as the weight increases. In cats, the abdomen begins to become rounded and fat deposits may be seen over the back, the legs and the face.
The Underweight Dog or Cat
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the pet which is underweight. For these pets, the body condition scores decreases, with one being an emaciated state.
Underweight or emaciated pets will have easily palpable ribs with very little, if any, fat padding. The waist and abdominal tuck will be extremely visible and, in cats, the abdominal fat pad will be minimal. As the emaciation becomes more severe, the back bones and hip bones will become more prominent.
Obesity is now recognized by veterinarians as a disease with fat being identified as a secretory organ. Obesity can contribute to a number of different health issues, with the health of overweight or obese dogs and cats being at risk as a result of the abnormal weight. Conversely, dogs and cats which are underweight or emaciated are often in this condition because of some type of health issue affecting the pet's appetite or metabolism.
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