Dog Body Condition Score Calculator
Weight-conscious people are familiar with BMI (Body Mass Index) as a yardstick to identify ideal weight in humans. Pet owners are also focused on the weight of their pets. Luckily, there is a way to measure the body condition of our furbabies, too.
The pet version of BMI is called BCS (Body Condition Score), and it is a quantitative, yet subjective, method for evaluating body fat. It may seem more complicated than the human scale because, although people come in lots of different shapes and sizes, the pet world has a bigger variety of both—especially the dog population Think: Yorkie or a Dachshund (small) vs. Bison Frise (medium) vs. Great Dane (large).
How to measure your dog's rib, waist and tummy (abdominal) tuck score:
Stand behind your dog and place both thumbs on either side of its backbone. Spread both hands across its rib cage. The ribs should be easy to feel under the coat without excessive fat covering (Rib score 3). Look at your dog from the side and from above. Can you see their waist (Waist score 3) ? Feel your dog’s belly by running your hand underneath from the end of the chest along the belly. It should follow an upwards curve and not droop downwards (tummy tuck score 3). This is known as the abdominal tuck.
An emaciated pet with a rib, waist, and tummy tuck score of 1/5 will have ribs that stick out with no fat layer: Ribs, lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones, and all bony prominences evident from a distance. No visible or palapable (feel by touch) body fat. Obvious loss of muscle mass. These ribs are not only easy to feel but are easy to see.
A score of 3/5 for ribs, waistline and tummy tuck is for dogs that have: Ribs palpable (ribs that can be felt) without excess fat covering. Waist can be observed behind ribs when viewed from above (think of it as an hourglass shape). Abdomen tucked up when viewed from the side.
Obese pets with a rib, waist, and abdominal tuck score of 5/5 have ribs covered by a thick layer of fat making all three parameters very difficult to see or feel.
So what is your Dogs Score? Use the calculator below to find out.