Is my pet overweight?
It happens slowly, it shortens life, and a slightly round pet has quietly become the normal thing to look at.
Excess weight is the most common preventable health problem in pets, and the hardest for owners to see — partly because it happens slowly, and partly because a slightly round pet has become the normal thing to look at.
The 30-second check
- Ribs. Run flat hands along the ribcage. You should feel each rib easily, like the back of your hand, without pressing.
- From above. There should be a visible waist behind the ribs.
- From the side. The belly should tuck upward toward the hind legs, not hang level.
Body condition score
Vets use a 9-point scale where 5 is ideal. Each point above 5 represents roughly 10% excess bodyweight, which is what makes the scale useful — it converts a subjective impression into a target number.
| Score | What you see and feel |
|---|---|
| 4–5 | Ribs easily felt, clear waist, visible tuck. Ideal. |
| 6 | Slight fat cover, waist less defined. Roughly 10% over. |
| 7 | Ribs hard to feel, waist barely visible. Roughly 20% over. |
| 8 | Ribs not palpable without pressure, no waist, fat deposits. Around 30% over. |
| 9 | Heavy fat over ribs, spine and tail base; distended abdomen. |
Turn a score into a target
Enter current weight and body condition to get target weight, safe weekly loss, and a realistic timeframe.
Open the ideal weight calculator →What excess weight actually does
It is not cosmetic. Carrying extra weight shortens lifespan and brings forward the conditions that make later life difficult: arthritis and joint pain, diabetes in cats particularly, heart and respiratory strain, higher anaesthetic risk for any procedure, and reduced heat tolerance — which for flat-faced breeds is genuinely dangerous.
Losing it safely
Roughly 1 to 2% of bodyweight per week is the usual target, which means most plans run for months rather than weeks. Faster loss costs muscle rather than fat.
Cats need particular care
Rapid weight loss or fasting in cats can trigger hepatic lipidosis, a serious and sometimes fatal liver condition. A cat that stops eating for a couple of days is a veterinary matter, not a diet working. Feline weight loss should always be supervised by a vet.
What works in practice
- Weigh the food. Scoops drift upward over time; scales do not.
- Feed to target weight, not current weight, using a weight-loss multiplier.
- Count treats. Cap them at 10% of daily calories, or swap to green beans, carrot or cucumber for dogs.
- One person, one bowl. Households where several people feed the pet are where plans quietly fail.
- Add movement gradually. For cats, food puzzles and short play sessions work better than any attempt at exercise.
- Weigh fortnightly and record it. Progress you cannot see is progress you stop believing in.
Turn the body condition score into a target weight and a realistic timeframe — safe loss is roughly 1–2% of body weight a week. Open the ideal weight calculator →
When it is not overfeeding
See a vet before assuming diet is the answer if weight gain is rapid, if the abdomen is enlarged but the ribs and spine feel bony, if there is hair loss or lethargy alongside it, or if a pet is genuinely not losing weight on a correctly measured plan. Hypothyroidism in dogs, Cushing's disease, and fluid accumulation all present as weight gain and none of them respond to smaller portions.
The part owners find hardest
Food is how many of us express affection, and refusing a pet that asks feels like refusing to love them. It helps to substitute rather than subtract — a walk, a game, five minutes of brushing, a training session. Pets respond to attention at least as strongly as to food, and none of those alternatives shorten their life.
Common questions
How can I tell if my dog is overweight?
Run flat hands along the ribcage — you should feel each rib easily without pressing. Look from above for a visible waist behind the ribs, and from the side for a belly that tucks upward. If ribs are hard to find and the waist has gone, your pet is likely overweight.
What is a body condition score?
A 9-point scale used by vets where 5 is ideal. Each point above 5 represents roughly 10% excess bodyweight, which lets you convert an impression into a target weight.
How fast should a pet lose weight?
About 1 to 2% of bodyweight per week. Faster loss costs muscle rather than fat, and in cats rapid loss or fasting can trigger hepatic lipidosis, a serious liver condition. Feline weight loss should be vet-supervised.
My pet is not losing weight despite eating less — why?
First check that portions are being weighed and that nobody else is feeding them. If the plan is genuinely being followed, see a vet: hypothyroidism in dogs, Cushing's disease and fluid accumulation all cause weight that does not respond to smaller portions.