Body Condition Scores
- Jul 18
- 3 min read
This information does not cover all the risk factors relating to BOAS. We are presenting an important risk factor that have been found to significantly increase the risk of BOAS in French and British Bulldogs AND have easy non-invasive assessment tools that Breeders can use to assist them in reducing the incidence of BOAS in their future lines and progeny.
Today, we are discussing Body Condition Score using the 9 point system (see the table below). The 9 point system is the most widely accepted system and has previously been shown to correlate well with body fat mass determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).
A BCS of 1 means an animal is severely underweight and likely near death from starvation. On the opposite side of the scale, a BCS of 9 means an animal is morbidly obese. An ideal BCS is 4-5 out of 9.
To correctly score your dog, you will need to evaluate the ribs, waist and hips.
Ribs at an ideal BCS, will be able to be felt easily with flat fingers. If you need to use the tips of your fingers, but can still find the ribs easily, the dog is closer to a 6 out of 9. If you have to really work to find the ribs with your finger tips, that’s a 7 or 8 out of 9. If you can’t find those ribs at all, you’re looking at BCS of 8 or 9 out of 9. However, if you can very easily feel the ribs and just barely see them, that’s a 4 out of 9. If you see your dog's ribs very easily without touching, they are too underweight with a BCS of 3 or less.
The waist should be a visible “waist” behind the rib cage. In fluffy dogs, you should be able to feel it or see it when they are wet. From the side you should be able to see a “tuck” to the abdomen starting where the chest ends and going up toward the hips.
Hips should not have love handles and you should be able to feel the points of the hips easily. If you can clearly see the hip bones or there is no muscle, this correlates with a BCS or 3 or less.
For every BCS above 5, the dog is an extra 10 percent overweight. For example, a dog with a BCS of 7 out of 9 is approximately 20 percent overweight.
Liu et al found that with the 415 bulldogs they studied that the average BCS of French Bulldogs was 5 and British Bulldogs was 6. However, all overweight bulldogs in their study were found to also have BOAS. In addition, several other studies have shown that obese BCS is a strong risk factor for BOAS. Obesity impacts respiratory function in many ways. The obese dog will have increased fat tissue within the airway which further narrows the airway lumen diameter. Obese dogs also tend to have increased respiratory rates meaning they breathe faster but because of their obesity, receive less air volume with each breath typically resulting in lower arterial blood oxygen levels. The obese animal also has decreased exercise tolerance, is prone to overheating. Aside from the respiratory issues, there are several other complications from obesity including:
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Liver disease or dysfunction
Compromised immune system function
Osteoarthritis / lameness
Increased risk of malignant tumors (cancer)
Increased anaesthetic / surgical risks
Shorter life expectancy
References used in this information post:
Liu N-C, Troconis EL, Kalmar L, Price DJ, Wright HE, Adams VJ, et al. (2017) Conformational risk factors of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) in pugs, French bulldogs, and bulldogs. PLoS ONE 12(8): e0181928. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0181928
Alexander J. German, Shelley L. Holden, Glyn L. Moxham, Karen L. Holmes, Rachel M. Hackett, John M. Rawlings, A Simple, Reliable Tool for Owners to Assess the Body Condition of Their Dog or Cat, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 136, Issue 7, 1 July 2006, Pages 2031S–2033S, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/136.7.2031S
Liu, N. C., Sargan, D. R., Adams, V. J., & Ladlow, J. F. (2015). Characterisation of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome in French bulldogs using whole-body barometric plethysmography. PLoS One, 10(6), e0130741.
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