Obesity is one of the most prevalent disease affecting dogs today. The frequency of obesity has increased greatly in recent years, due primarily to overeating and lack of exercise. Dogs are not much different than people in this respect. But how do we know if our dog is overweight?

A check-up with your veterinarian is always best, especially since he has your dogs records from his last exam and can compare weight as well as any other clinical indicators. However, you can perform a similar examination at home.

Start by running your hands down the dog's sides, over her rib cage. You should be able to feel the ribs with only a slight layer of fat over them. Each rib should be distinct to your touch. However, you should not be able to see the dog's ribs. This would indicate that the dog is too thin and under-nourished.

Next look at your pet from above to see if he has a waist behind the ribs. If the area is slightly smaller than the rib cage, the weight is ok. If the area is larger than the ribs, a diet should be started soon. However, if the rib cage is pronounced, along with the upper leg, your pet is too thin.

Look at your dog from the side. Specifically look at the spine at the top, and the abdomen or stomach behind the rib cage. You should be able to feel the spine and the tops of the shoulders with only a slight amount of fat over them. Too much fat is overweight, too little is undernourished.

The abdomen or stomach should show a slight truck or taper up from the rib cage back to the hind legs. If your dog is overweight, he will have no tuck, if he is too thin, the tuck will be extreme, along with a pronounced rib cage.

A good rule of thumb to follow is simply if your dog looks healthy and nourished he probably is. Before you begin a diet on an obese animal or trying to force feed a too thin animal, please consult your veterinarian for a check-up. There could be an underlying medical problem causing either extreme.