How can a pet owner tell if a cat or dog is fat or overweight?
Determining whether a dog or cat is fat or overweight is based on an evaluation of the dog or cat’s body condition. A dog or cat with ideal body condition: *has ribs which are easily palpable through the dog or cat’s skin but which are not visible. *has a waist when viewed from above. You should see an hourglass silhouette from the ribs extending back to the hips. *has a abdominal tuck when viewed from either side. *has a tail in which the bones are palpable in the upper part of tail without a great deal of fat cover. The base of the tail should have a smooth contour. Overweight or fat dogs and cats: *have ribs which cannot be felt easily through the skin. There is a thick fat cover over the ribs. *have no waist when viewed from above. The silhouette of the fat dog or cat, when viewed from above goes straight from the ribs to the hips with no indentation. There is no hourglass shape. *have no abdominal tuck when viewed from the side. The fat dog or cat has a belly that extends in a str
