One of the most common conditions seen in veterinary general practice is excess body weight (overweight). Some animals even meet the criteria for obesity.

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So, how do you know your pet is overweight or obese, and is it really a problem?

A recent study of Swedish dog owners found that they tended to underestimate their dog's body weight (a tendency the researchers called "weight blindness").

But, this could be fixed by learning to perform a body condition score.

Veterinarians commonly use a nine-point body condition score (BCS), where 1 is too thin (emaciation), 5 is ideal weight and 9 represents obesity.

To develop a score for an individua

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