Body condition and working dogs

Key facts

Body-condition score

Assessment of fat stores [source]

Muscle-condition score

Assessment of muscle [source]

Establish a baseline

Record the date, weight, ration and recent workload before discussing condition. Photographs taken from similar angles can support your notes but do not replace a hands-on assessment.

Learn the assessment

WSAVA provides body-condition tools for veterinary nutrition assessments. Ask the team to demonstrate how they apply the tool to your dog, including how coat and muscle affect what you can see.

Track changes

Compare records over time and ask about unexplained change. Avoid selecting a target weight from a breed average without individual assessment.

Ask whether muscle condition should also be recorded and how frequently reassessment is appropriate for this dog. Use the same recording method so a change in technique is not mistaken for a change in condition.

Date each record and identify the observer. If somebody else assesses the dog, record that change so the next review can distinguish a new opinion from an actual trend.

Fat stores and muscle are different

WSAVA distinguishes body-condition scoring, which assesses fat stores, from muscle-condition scoring. Muscle can change with ageing or disease, and a scale reading alone cannot explain the composition of a weight change. This is why the same body weight can require a different interpretation at different points in a dog’s life. Use both the physical assessment and the history rather than treating a photograph or a breed weight range as a diagnosis. In the record, keep observed condition separate from any conclusion about whether the ration, work or illness caused it.

Common questions

Sources & further reading

References for this guide. Rules and services can change; check the responsible organisation for current details.

• WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines (opens in a new tab)

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