Is my dog or cat too thin or too heavy? The body condition score
Ask your vet about your own pet. This page is general information from the sources below.
Vets use a 9-point body condition score: 4 and 5 are ideal, 1 to 3 are too thin and 6 to 9 are too heavy. The WSAVA nutrition toolkit describes each score by what you can see and feel. This page puts those descriptions in plain words, shows how to check at home, and ends with how to read a pet food label.
Checked October 29, 2026.
- 1Under ideal
- 2Under ideal
- 3Under ideal
- 4Ideal (lean side)
- 5Ideal
- 6Over ideal
- 7Over ideal
- 8Over ideal
- 9Over ideal
Simple drawings from above. Real pets vary, and fur hides shape, so feel as well as look.
How to check a dog at home
- Look at your dog from above. You should see a waist that curves in behind the rib cage.
- Look from the side. The belly should slope up toward the back legs (a tummy tuck), not sag or bulge.
- Run your hands along the sides. You should be able to feel the ribs with light pressure, and the skin should slide easily over them.
- Feel along the back for the spine and hip bones. You should be able to feel them under the skin without seeing them stick out.
- Feel where the tail meets the body. There should not be a thick layer of fat there.
- Feeling the ribs bothers a dog less than pressing on the back or hips, and dogs with sore joints may hurt if you press there, so use light pressure.
- Write down the score and your pet's weight each time, and say which scale you used (for example 5 out of 9).
The nine scores
| Score | Dogs | Cats |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Under ideal | Ribs, backbone and hip bones all stick out and can be seen from far away. No body fat at all, and the muscles have clearly shrunk. | Ribs show on a short-haired cat and you cannot feel any fat. The tummy is tucked up severely, and the backbone and hip bones are easy to feel. |
| 2 Under ideal | Ribs, backbone and hip bones are easy to see. No fat to feel. Other bones may show a little, and there is a small loss of muscle. | Ribs are easy to see on a short-haired cat. The backbone stands out, the tummy tuck is strong, and there is no fat to feel. |
| 3 Under ideal | Ribs are easy to feel and may show, with no fat to feel. The tops of the backbone can be seen and the hip bones are starting to stick out. There is a clear waist and tummy tuck. | Ribs are easy to feel under a very thin layer of fat. The backbone is obvious, there is a clear waist behind the ribs, and very little belly fat. |
| 4 Ideal (lean side) | Ribs are easy to feel under a thin layer of fat. From above you can easily see a waist, and the tummy tucks up. | Ribs can be felt under a thin layer of fat. There is a noticeable waist behind the ribs, a slight tuck, and no belly fat pad. |
| 5 Ideal | Ribs can be felt without extra fat on top. From above you see a waist behind the ribs, and from the side the tummy tucks up. | Well proportioned. There is a waist behind the ribs, ribs can be felt under a slight covering of fat, and there is only a small belly fat pad. |
| 6 Over ideal | Ribs can be felt, but with a little extra fat over them. From above the waist can be seen but is not strong. The tummy tuck is still there. | Ribs can be felt under a little extra fat. The waist and belly fat pad can be told apart but are not obvious, and the tummy tuck is gone. |
| 7 Over ideal | Ribs are hard to feel under heavy fat. There are noticeable fat deposits over the lower back and the base of the tail. The waist is gone or barely seen. | Ribs are not easy to feel under a moderate layer of fat. The waist is hard to see, the belly looks rounded, and there is a moderate belly fat pad. |
| 8 Over ideal | Ribs cannot be felt under very heavy fat, or only with hard pressure. Heavy fat sits over the lower back and tail base. No waist and no tummy tuck, and the belly may stick out. | Ribs cannot be felt under the extra fat. There is no waist, the belly is clearly rounded with a big fat pad, and fat sits over the lower back. |
| 9 Over ideal | Huge fat deposits over the chest, spine and tail base, plus fat on the neck and legs. No waist and no tuck, and the belly clearly sticks out. | Ribs cannot be felt under heavy fat. Fat deposits show on the lower back, face and legs, the belly is swollen, and there is no waist. |
Why weight matters
- A VCA hospitals page says studies show that even a moderately overweight dog can lose nearly two years of life expectancy.
- That page says overweight and obese dogs have a higher risk than lean dogs of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis and joint wear, bladder stones, and problems with anesthesia.
- VCA also says a dog that is a 7 out of 9 on the 9-point scale (4 out of 5 on the 5-point scale) carries about 30% body fat.
- The WSAVA toolkit says looking at body condition at every vet visit helps the vet team spot weight changes early.
How to read a food label
A pet food label has useful facts and also advertising. The WSAVA nutrition group says words like "holistic" or "premium" are not regulated and tell you little about nutrition. The WSAVA label guide and the FDA pages point to a few parts that are worth reading.
Look for "complete and balanced"
The nutritional adequacy statement says if a food is meant to be a pet's whole diet. The FDA says a dog or cat food can make that claim by meeting an AAFCO nutrient profile or by passing an AAFCO feeding trial. Treats and snacks usually are not complete and balanced.
Match the life stage
AAFCO has one profile for growth and reproduction (puppies, kittens, and mothers) and one for adult upkeep. WSAVA says a food labeled "for all life stages" is made to meet the growth and reproduction needs.
Ingredients are listed by weight
By law the ingredients go from most to least by weight. WSAVA warns that the list alone says nothing about how good the ingredients are, so do not pick a food from it alone.
The feeding guide is a starting point
WSAVA says the feeding directions must say how much food to give for a pet's weight and how often. Because pets differ, watch your pet's body score and ask your vet if the amount needs to change.
Check the calories
In the US the label must show calories, usually per kilogram and per cup or can. WSAVA says this helps prevent feeding too much. If it is missing, the company can tell you.
Treats count
WSAVA says foods labeled for short-term, occasional or extra feeding should be only a small part of the diet, 10% or less.
Who makes it
The label names the company that made or sold the food. WSAVA says a good company is easy to contact with questions about what is in its food.
Talk to your vet
Body scores are a guide, not a diagnosis. Ask your vet to check your pet's score, set a healthy target weight, and say how much and what to feed. Sudden weight gain or loss should be looked at by a vet. Sources: WSAVA, VCA Animal Hospitals, PDSA, FDA.
For the children
Help the grown-up check your pet's shape: look from above for a waist, then gently run your hands along the ribs. Then help write down the weight and the date.
"A healthy pet has a waist and ribs you can feel but not see."
General information from the sources below, not veterinary advice. We don't say how much to feed: the amount depends on your pet, and your vet decides.
Sources
- WSAVA: Body Condition Score chart, dogs (Global Nutrition Toolkit) (checked October 29, 2026)
- WSAVA: Body Condition Score charts for cats and dogs (copy hosted by Ohio State University vet medical center) (checked October 29, 2026)
- WSAVA: Global Nutrition Guidelines page (checked October 29, 2026)
- WSAVA: Interpreting Food Labels (North America) (checked October 29, 2026)
- WSAVA: Guidelines on Selecting Pet Foods (checked October 29, 2026)
- FDA: "Complete and Balanced" Pet Food (checked October 29, 2026)