Pet Body Condition Score (BCS) Guide: How to Tell if Your Pet Is Overweight
Understanding Body Condition Score (BCS)
Assessing your animal’s body condition is an important part of keeping them healthy and comfortable. A Body Condition Score (BCS) uses both sight and touch to evaluate fat and muscle coverage, helping you and your veterinary team determine if your pet is in optimal condition.
Use species-specific BCS charts for dogs, cats, rabbits, and horses to learn how to check key areas like the ribs, waist, spine, hips, and tailhead (horses).
Regular body condition scoring helps guide care decisions, detect health issues early, and support strong, active, and happy animals throughout their lives.
Checking your pet’s Body Condition Score (BCS) at home is a great way to monitor their weight and overall health between veterinary visits. While nothing replaces a professional evaluation by your veterinarian, doing regular at-home checks helps you catch changes early.
Ask your vet to score your pet at each appointment and keep a record over time. When you’re ready to try it yourself, follow our species-specific guides for step-by-step instructions.
Rib Check
You should be able to easily feel your pet’s ribs when you gently run your fingers along their side. A healthy-weight pet will have a thin layer of fat you can feel but not see. If you feel a thick layer of fat, your pet may be overweight.
Waist Check
From above, your pet should have a visible waist behind the ribs that tapers slightly toward the hips with a slight indentation near the midsection. If there’s no visible waist or it bulges, they may be overweight.
Tummy Check
From the side, you should see a slight tuck or upward slope in the tummy area. A hanging, bulging, or sagging abdomen can indicate excess abdominal or “belly” fat, which is the most biologically active and concerning fat.
Check Weight Regularly
Weigh your pet consistently using a home scale or at your veterinarian’s office. Tracking weight changes over time helps guide diet adjustments, activity levels, and follow-up care.
Schedule Routine Check-Ups
Discuss body condition with your veterinarian at every visit and ask for a formal BCS assessment. Regular exams catch subtle changes early and help you manage your pet’s long-term health.
What to do with your result: If any step suggests extra fat or rapid weight changes, schedule a body condition score with your veterinarian and ask them to record the BCS at every visit so you can track progress over time.
Learn more: Tools and Resources
Use our species-specific BCS charts on this page to compare your pet and talk with your veterinary team about next steps.
