Is my pet overweight?

We know it: many cats and dogs today suffer from overweight. But is your own pet among them? We often don't notice that our four-legged friends slowly gain weight over the years. Therefore, objective criteria are needed to show whether a pet is carrying too much weight.

Weight
A seemingly very simple method is to determine the animal's weight and compare it with the given breed standards. In individual cases, however, this information is often not very helpful. For example, an ideal weight of 4 to 5 kg is given for domestic cats. However, a large-framed cat can certainly weigh 6 kg without being overweight. It becomes even more difficult with dogs. The values specified for a breed have a very wide range. The optimal weight for Labrador Retrievers is given, for example, as 25 to 34 kg. However, a small, lightly built Labrador will still suffer from overweight at 30 kg.

To determine if our pet is overweight, it is therefore better to compare the animal's current weight with the weight it had upon reaching adulthood. The prerequisite for this, of course, is that the animal was neither underfed nor overfed during growth, and that its weight was recorded and subsequently stored at that time.

Body Condition Score
Veterinarians today mostly use the so-called Body Condition Score (KKI) to determine the nutritional status. The body's fat percentage is estimated based on some subjective body criteria. Assessed are:

• the body silhouette from above and from the side
• how easily the ribs can be felt
• the thickness of the fat layer along the back, the tail base, and on the abdomen

So you only need to look at your animal from the side and from above, and gently palpate it, to classify it into one of the following 5 stages:

KKI 1: 20% Underweight severely tucked-up abdomen from the side, pronounced hourglass shape from above Ribs easily felt no fatty tissue between bones and skin
KKI 2: 10% Underweight Tucked-up abdomen, clearly visible hourglass shape from above Ribs easily felt Little fat over prominent bones
KKI 3: Ideal Weight Slightly tucked-up abdomen, recognizable well-proportioned waist from above Ribs palpable Thin layer of fat between skin and bones
KKI 4: 10% Overweight Abdomen straight, back widened from above Ribs difficult to feel Bone structure still palpable and covered by a moderate fat layer
KKI 5: 20% Overweight Hanging abdomen, no waist Ribs difficult or impossible to feel Bones are covered by a thick fat layer

Graphic according to: petnutritionalliance.org. Canine Purina Body condition / Feline Purina Body Condition


Studies show, however, that many pet owners misjudge their animal – even if they know the assessment criteria for the KKI. Sometimes even severely overweight dogs and cats are still considered to be of normal weight by their owners. So if you are unsure whether your animal is too fat, ask your veterinarian during your next visit. He will be able to assess your animal more objectively than you. In addition, he will compare the current weight with the records in the medical history. Should your animal be too fat, various diets, compiled according to the latest scientific findings, are available today to help your animal return to a normal weight in the long term! With our Weight Reduction Program, you can quickly and easily create an individual weight loss plan for your animal. You can select a diet food, calculate the amount of food, and create a weight curve so you can monitor whether the animal is losing weight at the correct speed.   

It is best to avoid the development of underweight or overweight by adjusting the amount of food. To do this, calculate a guideline for the ideal daily food ration for your animal in our iPet Food Calculator. Weigh it regularly and adjust the amount of food accordingly as soon as you notice that your animal is gaining or losing weight.