A: When your dog is standing up, you should see the abdomen or belly slope upwards.  Your pet’s ribs shouldn’t be visible; but you want to be able to feel them with gentle pressure.

A cat tends to store fat at the belly.  You don’t want to feel a ball of fat larger than a lemon in this area.  You should also be able to feel the ribs with gentle pressure.

If your pet is overweight, it can lead to many serious medical conditions just like in people.  Diabetes, joint problems, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease and others can all be triggered by obesity.  Being overweight can also be a sign of a hormone imbalance such as low thyroid.