Always remember that food is not a substitute for love, affection and attention. Veterinarians worldwide use a 9 point scoring system to evaluate a dog's condition. A pet, which scores 1 in the test means that it is emaciated and a score of 9 means that he is grossly overweight. A pet who has a thin covering of fat over ribs, whose ribs are felt easily and whose waist is not prominently discernible is termed healthy and scores 5 points in the rating. However, the body condition of the pet that scores 5 differs with every dog, as some breeds are naturally thin.
Owners can also do the rating at home.
Feel the pet's ribs, the area near the base of the tail, spine, shoulder bones, the waist. These areas are critical as fat deposits usually start off here and they are the ideal indicators of the general well being of your pet. Check out Your Dog 1. If the hip, rib and other bones of your pet are clearly visible from a distance Absence of any body fat. Your dog is emaciated.