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Body condition assessment
Score your animal's ribs, waist and abdominal tuck on the standard 9-point scale and see what it means.
How to assess
- Run flat hands along both sides of the chest — you should feel ribs like the back of your knuckles.
- Look down from above — there should be a waist behind the ribs.
- Look from the side — the abdomen should rise towards the hind legs rather than run level.
- Long-coated animals must be assessed by touch, not by sight.
Result
5 / 9 — Ideal
Ribs felt without pressing hard, visible waist from above, abdomen tucks up from the side. This is the target.
Each point above 5 is roughly 10% over ideal body weight. Score monthly and record it; a slow drift is easy to miss and easier to reverse early. Any rapid change in either direction warrants a veterinary appointment.