Body condition scoring and weighing—Going combo! (2025)

McClenaghan, M., Galichet, C., Murphy, S. et al.

Abstract

Evaluating an animal’s nutritional status and overall fitness ensures its welfare. While weight is often used as a single proxy for overall fitness, it may not capture changes in muscle or fat mass on its own. This is why body condition scoring (BCS) a non-invasive assessment tool is so valuable. At the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre (SWC), we have adopted a standardised approach combining BCS and weighing to better understand our mices’ health. This approach is supported by the Named Veterinary Surgeon (NVS) and follows a training and competency framework in line with SWC’s standards. Once SWC Animal Technologists (ATs) achieve competency in BCS and weighing they use both techniques in tandem to support researchers and ultimately enhance Animal Welfare.