ABSTRACT
The WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee has recently recommended using the 9-integer unit BCS, with BCS 4/95/9 being ideal, 6/9-7/9 being overweight, and 8/9-9/9 being obese. Given that beyond 5/9 each integer unit represents ~10-15% of excess weight, overweight animals are typically up to 20% above their ideal weight, while obese dogs are >20% above ideal. As in humans, various studies have suggested that adverse health effects can arise when dogs and cats are not maintained in optimal body condition. A number of recent international studies have determined the prevalence of excess body weight in dogs and cats: for dogs, 29-39% are defined as overweight and 5-20% as obese, while, for cats, 19-29% are defined as overweight and 8-10% as obese. Differences represent variations in the populations studied and methodology. Furthermore, as with human obesity, prevalence is increasing, with recent reports suggesting a 37% and 90% increase in prevalence over the last 5 years for dogs and cats, respectively.
