Pet Body Condition Charts

Understanding your pet’s body condition is one of the most important ways to support their long-term health. Companion Animal Hospital recommends body condition scoring to assess whether your pet is underweight, overweight, or at an ideal weight.

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body condition chart

What Is a Body Condition Score?

A Body Condition Score (BCS) evaluates your pet’s fat coverage, muscle tone, and overall physique on a 1–9 scale.

  • Scores 1–3: Too thin — ribs, spine, and bones are easily visible.
  • Scores 4–5: Ideal — ribs are easily felt, the waist is visible, and your pet has a healthy abdominal tuck.
  • Scores 6–9: Overweight to obese — ribs are hard to feel under fat, and the waistline is less defined.

Maintaining an ideal BCS can increase your pet’s life expectancy, reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and improve energy and mobility.

tired beagle sleeping on couch

Download the Pet Body Condition Charts

These charts, provided by Royal Canin, offer a visual guide to help you assess your dog or cat’s body condition at home. They show what each score looks like and explain the physical signs that indicate whether your pet may need to gain or lose weight.

Download: Body Condition Chart for Cats & Dogs (PDF)

Why It Matters

Even a few extra pounds can have a big impact on your pet’s health — for example, two extra pounds on a 22 lb dog equals 15 extra pounds on a 143 lb person, according to the chart. Maintaining a healthy weight helps prevent conditions like diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease while improving your pet’s overall comfort and happiness.

If you’re unsure where your pet falls on the scale, our veterinarians can perform a full body condition assessment during your pet’s next visit and create a customized nutrition and exercise plan.

At Companion Animal Hospital, we’re here to help your pets stay active, healthy, and at their ideal weight — for life.