Page 931 - Small Animal Internal Medicine, 6th Edition

CHAPTER 51 Weight Loss and Obesity 903

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Body Condition Score

1 3 5 7 9

UNDER IDEAL IDEAL OVER IDEAL
1 Ribs visible on shorthaired cats. No palpable fat. 5 Well-proportioned. 6 Ribs palpable with slight excess fat covering.
Severe abdominal tuck. Lumbar vertebrae and wings Observe waist behind ribs. Waist and abdominal fat pad distinguishable but not obvious.
of ilia easily palpated. Ribs palpable with slight fat Abdominal tuck absent.
2 Ribs easily visible on shorthaired cats. Lumbar vertebrae covering. Abdominal fat 7 Ribs not easily palpated with moderate fat covering.
obvious. Pronounced abdominal tuck. No palpable fat. pad minimal. Waist poorly discernible. Obvious rounding of abdomen.
Moderate abdominal fat pad.
3 Ribs easily palpable with minimal fat covering.
Lumbar vertebrae obvious. Obvious waist behind ribs. 8 Ribs not palpable with excess fat covering. Waist absent.
Minimal abdominal fat. Obvious rounding of abdomen with prominent abdominal fat pad.
Fat deposits present over lumbar area.
4 Ribs palpable with minimal fat covering. Noticeable
waist behind ribs. Slight abdominal tuck. Abdominal 9 Ribs not palpable under heavy fat cover.
fat pad absent. Heavy fat deposits over lumbar area, face and limbs.
Distention of abdomen with no waist. Extensive
abdominal fat deposits.
Bjornvad CR, et al. Evaluation of a nine-point body condition scoring system in physically inactive pet cats. AJVR 2011;72:433-437.
Development and validation of a body condition score system for cats: A clinical tool. Feline Pract 1997;25:13-18.
©2013. All rights reserved. wsava.org
FIG 51.2
Body condition score chart for cats from the Global Nutrition Committee Toolkit provided
courtesy of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. (© The World Small Animal
Veterinary Association, 2013.)

told to expect to adjust the amount of food on the basis of minerals, and vitamins. By feeding less of the maintenance
frequent weigh-ins. Initially, some patients gain weight on food to induce weight loss in an obese pet, not only is the
the new weight loss plan, some stay weight-stable, some lose amount of energy being reduced below requirements but
the desired amount, and some may even lose weight too also the quantities of amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, and
quickly. vitamins, thereby risking malnutrition, especially given the
After determining the daily number of calories to feed the length of time often needed to achieve an ideal body condi-
patient, the clinician should consider the most suitable type tion. Conversely, diets that have been specifically formulated
of food. There are essentially two main dietary options: (1) for weight reduction contain more essential nutrients rela-
feed a reduced amount of the current diet (typically a regular tive to the energy content. This means that the patient is
maintenance food), or (2) feed a food that has been specifi- more likely to ingest the required quantities of essential
cally formulated for weight reduction. It is not advisable to nutrients even in fewer calories.
feed less of the current diet because this most likely was the Most foods designed for weight reduction are one half to
food that resulted in the problem in the first place, and com- two thirds less energy-dense than typical maintenance foods.
pliance over the long term is less likely due to habit as well Therefore clients will not visually perceive as much of a
as reluctance to feed low food volumes. More important, decrease in volume when a food designed for weight reduc-
feeding a maintenance food may increase the risk of nutrient tion is used. Decreased energy density on a volume basis is
deficiency, because these are formulated for animals with achieved by decreasing the fat content of food, modifying
normal body composition and average calorie needs. This kibble size and shape to reduce “packing” together in a cup
means that if a normal dog or cat eats its daily energy require- or bowl, increasing the moisture content of wet foods, and/
ment, it will also consume the required quantities of addi- or increasing fiber concentration. Some of these strategies
tional essential nutrients, such as amino acids, fatty acids, are directed at owner perceptions of volume, but others aim