How to weigh your pet at home
Every weight-based medication amount is only as accurate as the weight you start with. Here is how to get a reliable number for your dog or cat at home in under a minute.
Step on a bathroom scale and note your weight. Pick up your dog, step on again, and note the new number. The difference is your dog’s weight. It works for any dog you can safely lift and is accurate to within about a pound on most home scales.
For cats, kittens, and small dogs, a kitchen or baby scale is more precise than subtracting on a bathroom scale. Put a towel or the carrier on the scale, zero it out, then place the pet on top. If the pet will not settle, weigh the carrier with the pet inside and subtract the empty carrier weight.
Weight-based guidance is usually figured per kilogram of body weight, but home scales often read in pounds. One kilogram is about 2.2 pounds. The VetDose calculators accept either unit, so you never have to convert by hand.
Puppies and kittens can double in weight in a few weeks, and an older pet’s weight drifts over time. Re-weigh before starting anything new, and any time the pet’s size has visibly changed, so the number reflects today rather than last season.
A clinic scale is the gold standard, especially for very small pets where a few ounces matter. Many clinics will let you drop in for a free weight check. Bring that number to any calculation.