Body Condition Scoring (BCS) Systems - AAHA

1 body Condition Scoring (BCS) Systems 5 9 5 9. Point Point Description Point Point Description Dogs: Ribs, lumbar vertebrae, Dogs: Ribs palpable with slight excess fat covering. pelvic bones and all bony Waist is discernible viewed from above but is not prominences evident from 6/9 prominent. Abdominal tuck apparent. a distance. No discernible body fat. Obvious loss of Cats: Shared characteristics of BCS 5 and 7. muscle mass. 1/5 1/9 Dogs: Ribs palpable with Cats: Ribs visible on short- difficulty; heavy fat cover. haired cats; no palpable fat; Noticeable fat deposits severe abdominal tuck; lumbar over lumbar area and base vertebrae and wings of ilia of tail.

2 Waist absent or obvious and easily palpable. barely visible. Abdominal tuck may be present. Dogs: Ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones 4/5 7/9. easily visible. No palpable fat. Some evidence Cats: Ribs not easily of other bony prominence. Minimal loss of palpable with moderate 2/9 fat covering; waist poorly muscle mass. distensible; obvious Cats: Shared characteristics of BCS 1 and 3. rounding of abdomen;. moderate abdominal Dogs: Ribs easily palpated fat pad. and may be visible with no palpable fat. Tops of lumbar Dogs: Ribs not palpable under very heavy fat vertebrae visible. Pelvic cover, or palpable only with significant pressure. bones becoming prominent.

3 Heavy fat deposits over lumbar area and base of Obvious waist. 8/9 tail. Waist absent. No abdominal tuck. Obvious 2/5 3/9. abdominal distension may be present. Cats: Ribs easily palpable with minimal fat covering; Cats: Shared characteristics of BCS 7 and 9. lumbar vertebrae obvious;. obvious waist behind ribs; Dogs: Massive fat deposits minimal abdominal fat. over thorax, spine and base of tail. Waist and abdominal Dogs: Ribs easily palpable, with minimal fat tuck absent. Fat deposits covering. Waist easily noted, viewed from above. on neck and limbs. Obvious 4/9 Abdominal tuck evident. abdominal distention. Cats: Shared characteristics of BCS 3 and 5. 5/5 9/9 Cats: Ribs not palpable under heavy fat cover.

4 Dogs: Ribs palpable without heavy fat deposits over excess fat covering. Waist lumbar area, face and limbs;. observed behind ribs distention of abdomen when viewed from above. with no waist; extensive Abdomen tucked up abdominal fat pad. when viewed. 3/5 5/9. Cats: Well proportioned;. waist observed behind ribs;. ribs palpable with slight fat covering; abdominal fat pad minimal. 2010 Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association. All rights reserved. Available at