How To Tell If Your Pet Is Overweight

Is my pet overweight?

There’s that look! Those big eyes looking at you with forlornness as if the body attached has never been fed a day in its life! It is so easy to give in to offering your companion a bit of your morning toast or evening roast potato. And yet so many pet owners don’t realise the number of extra, unnecessary and potentially harmful, calories they are giving their pet in those little tit-bits handed out here and there. Take a look at the Hill’s human caloric equivalent – it gives a good indication of what a small piece of cheese or a potato chip equates to in calories for your furry friend.

Ways to tell if your pet is overweight

It can be quite difficult to assess whether your pet is on the chubby side particularly if they have a stocky build or really thick fur. Aside from obvious weight gain, several other signs can be of help:

Difficulty in moving or getting up: Overweight animals may have trouble moving around and climbing stairs and may appear more lethargic or not be interested in exercising.

Difficulty in breathing: Excessive weight can put pressure on your companion’s respiratory system leading them to wheezing, heavy breathing or, even when they are not active, panting.

Difficulty in grooming: Overweight animals may struggle to groom themselves properly leading to a dull unkempt coat, knots and matts. Characteristic skin folds in certain breeds may be exacerbated leading to skin infections. 

Body Score Assessment

Conducting a body condition assessment is a good way to tell if your pet is carrying too much weight. 

Gently running your hands along your pets’ back and sides from their neck to the base of their tail, you should be able to feel a gentle ripple of their ribs and spine without having to press hard. They should also have a good tummy tuck with the tummy curving in from the bottom of the rib cage to the lower abdomen. Check the base of their tail for a fatty lump.

View your animal from above – they should have an hourglass shape from their shoulders, through their waist to the hips.

The Ideal weight 

Their ribs can be felt and are visible through their coat (unless they have a thick or longhaired coat). Their waistline is clearly visible and they have a noticeable tummy tuck.

Slightly/Markedly Overweight

Ribs can be felt with a bit of effort but cannot be seen. There’s a waistline but it is not an hourglass. There may still be a slight tummy tuck in the lower abdomen.

 In markedly overweight the ribs are hard to feel under a layer of fat and generally not visible. The waistline is absent and there are noticeable pads of fat along the lower back and base of the tail. There will be no visible tummy tuck and in fact, a slight protrusion of the abdomen may start becoming visibl