Body condition Scoring:
A helpful tool to use when assessing the overall health of an animal is body condition scoring. Body condition scoring is used to assign a value, 1-5 based on defined criteria. Evaluation of an animal’s body condition involves both visual examination and palpation of the bone structure, especially the ribs, vertebrae and pelvis. Specific criteria for scoring of the dog, mouse and cow are described below.
Body condition scores:
1.) Emaciated, poor
2.) Under-conditioned, thin
3.) Well-conditioned, optimal
4.) Over-conditioned, fat
5.) Obese, grossly fat
Mouse
1.) Individual vertebrae are prominent, pelvis is prominent.
2.) Individual vertebrae can be seen, the pelvis is easily palpated.
3.) The vertebrae and pelvis can be palpated with slight pressure.
4.) The vertebrae can be palpated with firm pressure.
5.) The bone structure is difficult or impossible to palpate.
For more information refer to Body
Condition Scoring: A Rapid and Accurate Method for Assessing Health Status in Mice
by Mollie H Ullman-Cullere and Charmaine J Foltz, reprinted from Laboratory Animal
Science Vol 49, no3 with permission from AALAS on 9/9/2007.
Dog
1.) The ribs, vertebrae and pelvic bones are prominent. The abdomen
is extremely concave. Muscle loss is apparent.
2.) The ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones are easily seen. The abdomen is
concave.
3.) The ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones are easily palpable with
a slight fat cover. There is an apparent indentation at the abdomen, visible from
above and from the side.
4.) The ribs and lumbar vertebrae are difficult to palpate. Pelvic bones can be
palpated with moderate fat/ tissue cover. The abdomen is not indented.
5.) The ribs and lumbar vertebrae are extremely difficult or impossible to palpate.
The pelvic bones are difficult to palpate. The abdomen is bulging.
www.cvm.tamu.edu/clinicalnutrition/bcsdog.shtml
Cow
1.) The tail head has a deep indentation with prominent bones and
no fat. The vertebrae are obvious with sharp horizontal processes.
2.) The tail head has a shallow indentation with prominent bones and some fat. Individual
vertebra can be easily palpated with rounded horizontal processes.
3.) The tail head is smooth, without indention. There is good fat cover, but the
pelvic bones can still be palpated. The vertebrae can be palpated; horizontal processes
are only felt with pressure.
4.) The tail head has folds of fat. Pelvic bones are difficult or impossible to
palpate. The horizontal processes of the vertebrae cannot be palpated, spine appears
rounded.
5.) The tail head has excessive fat. Pelvic bones are impossible to palpate.
http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-4008.pdf
Last updated September 28th, 2009