FEDIAF 2025 overweight prevalence

FEDIAF 2025 (Annex 7.1 Body Condition Score) reports that about one third of cats and dogs over one year of age presented to veterinary practices in the USA are overweight or obese (BCS 7 & 8 on the 9-point scale), with prevalence rising to almost 50% between the ages of 6 and 11 years (Lund EM 2005, Lund EM et al. 2006); prevalence in Europe is reported to be very similar (Colliard L et al. 2006, 2009; Sloth C 1992). The 9-point BCS scale is validated for dogs and cats (Laflamme DP 1997a/b): a score of 5/9 reflects optimal body fat — estimated at 20-30% BF for cats and 15-25% BF for dogs — while the ideal target is 4/9 to 5/9, and for neutered inactive cats a BCS of 4/9 may be optimal (Bjornvad CR et al. 2011). Neutered cats are at risk of accumulating more fat than intact cats (Fettman MJ et al. 1997), and neutered/indoor cats have a lower maintenance energy requirement (52-75 kcal/kg BW0.67 vs 100 for active cats); for dogs, an obese-prone adult MER of ≤90 kcal/kg BW0.75 is recommended (Table VII-7). Owners often fail to recognize that their animal is overweight or obese (Mason E 1970), though one study showed owners can learn to apply a BCS system with sufficient accuracy (German AJ et al. 2006). Long-term evidence from a 14-year Labrador study links restricted feeding to longer median lifespan and delayed onset of chronic disease (Kealy RD et al. 2002), and WSAVA has incorporated the 9-point BCS into its global nutritional guidelines.