• BCS 1 Severely underweight 

Dog: ribs, pelvic bones and all bony protrusions visible from a distance (in short-haired animals); no palpable body fat and no muscle mass 

Cat: ribs visible (in short-haired animals), fat not palpable, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones clearly visible, belly line is strongly drawn in, loss of muscles 

• BCS 2 Underweight 

Dog: Ribs easy to feel, little fat, spinous processes of the lumbar vertebrae and the pelvic bones protrude, waist pronounced 

Cat: ribs easily palpable, have minimal fat coverage; lumbar vertebrae clearly visible as well as the waist 

• BCS 3 Normal weight 

Dog: Ribs have some fat deposits and are easily palpable, vertebrae cannot be seen, waist is noticeable but not pronounced, belly line is drawn in 

Cat: Ribs somewhat covered with fat and easily palpable, spine is not visible, some fat on the belly, belly line present, waist not particularly noticeable 

• BCS 4 Overweight 

Dog: Ribs and spine are difficult to feel and have a thick layer of fat, fat deposits in the lumbar spine area and at the base of the tail, waist difficult to see 

Cat: Ribs barely palpable, moderate fat coverage, belly is clearly rounded, belly fat is present 

• BCS 5 Severely overweight 

Dog: massive fat deposits on the chest, spine, base of the tail, neck and limbs, waist no longer present, belly extremely stretched 

Cat: Ribs cannot be felt due to the layer of fat, heavy fat deposits on the lumbar area, limbs, no waist, belly very stretched 

As you can see, there is a fine line between the different weight areas, recognising them takes a little practice. We recommend that you seek help from a veterinarian or experienced pet nutritionist.