How can you tell if a dog is at a healthy weight?
Due to their diet and the many treats they receive, dogs are more likely to become overweight than underweight. When is a dog overweight or underweight?
There are various lists showing which dog breeds are most common and their corresponding weight. These are average weights, which are not the same for every dog. They are guidelines you can use for reference, but that is all they are. To determine how good your dog’s condition is, you should examine and feel them critically; look at the amount of fat on the ribs, abdominal circumference, muscle mass, and whether any bony protrusions are visible.
Healthy weight in dogs
If your dog’s ribs are easy to feel beneath a layer of fat that is not too thick, this means they are in good condition. The ribs should not be visible, nor should the lumbar vertebrae or pelvic bones. In addition, your dog should have a clearly visible waist and an upward-sloping abdominal line.
Overweight in dogs
If you can only feel the ribs with difficulty or can no longer feel them, and the dog looks ‘well filled out’, this means they are overweight. Fat pads develop around the neck and lower back, and the waist is barely or no longer visible. The abdominal line is also no longer upward-sloping but slopes downward instead. Dogs are severely overweight if they have a rounded, hanging belly that is wider than the chest.
Underweight in dogs
In underweight dogs, the ribs are visible and there is no longer any layer of fat. The lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones become visible. The waist is also clearly defined and the abdominal line slopes sharply upward. All bony protrusions can already be seen from a distance, and muscle mass has decreased.
