Is Your Dog Overweight - and do you really need a gadget to tell you?

Posted by Clare Bristow

dog-body-fat-tester The Kao Corporation in Japan is selling an electronic body fat measurer for dogs. All you need do is tap this device against your dog's skin at predetermined points on his back and you get an instant body fat reading.

This is all very clever technology but there is a simpler, and cheaper, way to tell whether or not your dog is overweight:

Stand above your dog and look down to see that he has a 'waist', that is, a definite indentation behind the ribs - if he hasn't then he's probably overweight;
Place your hands on your dog's ribs - you should be able to distinguish each rib. If you can't feel your dog's ribs at all then he is overweight;
Have a look at your dog from the side - the area behind the ribs should have a smaller diameter than your dog's chest, this is called abdominal tuck. Overweight dogs have no abdominal tuck; and
Is your dog always tired, panting after a small bout of exertion and avoiding playing games - these are all signs of being overweight (and possibly other illnesses too).

If your dog is overweight, talk to your vet about the best ways to get your dog back into shape.