Scales for pets can be a surprisingly essential piece of kit. If dogs are a man’s best friend, then vets are a dog’s worst enemy. For some pets, it’s easier and more convenient to check and monitor their weight from home.
There are many reasons you might want to keep an eye on your pet’s weight, which can sometimes be the first and only sign that they’re unwell. As nature goes, animals in the wild make efforts to hide injuries and sickness because otherwise they’d be more vulnerable to potential predators, so there’s every chance your pet is plodding on just fine when they may actually need medical attention. Call it an evolutionary hangover.
Perhaps you need to monitor your pet’s weight as you change their diet or introduce new medication, where the dosage and strength has been prescribed on their exact weight. Perhaps you want to keep a closer eye on your pet during pregnancy, control their weight due to them being overweight, measure growth, or ensure they’re maintaining their weight during periods of change, such as if a new pet with eyes bigger than their own food bowl is introduced to the home
Whatever the reason – you want to make sure you get the best weighting scales for your pet, so you can get an accurate result. This buyer’s guide will help inform you of the range of weighing scales for pets that are on the market, and give you an idea of what will be best for your pet, including scales for smaller pets, bigger pets, and nervous pets who won’t stand still.
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1. W.C Redmon Precision Digital Pet Scales: Best overall weighing scales for pets
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The Redmon Precision Digital Pet Scales are aimed at groomers and vets, but are popular with regular pet owners, too, particularly dogs of all shapes and sizes.
These scales have a slim design, with a non-slip rubberized mat to keep your pet firmly in place while they get weighed.
They have several features that help to make the weigh-in easier, including delta weight calculation, previous weight memory, and a low-battery indicator to remind you when the batteries need changing (these particular scales require two AAA alkaline batteries).
The maximum weight capacity of this large scale is a whopping 225 lbs, with a minimum weight capacity of 1 to1.5 pounds; it also measures in kgs, so whether you’re imperial or metric, these scales will make sense. They measure 28 inches in length, 16 inches wide and 1.75 inches in height, so you’ll definitely need somewhere to store them.
These scales are one of the most popular and well-rated online, and have a reputation for being precise.
However, despite the non-slip mat, there are definitely other scales that will better accommodate more wriggly and nervous pooches. One online reviewer warns that, while the scales are fine for calmer dogs, if your dog is particularly energetic, it might not be the best product for you, as it might be difficult to keep them on the scales long enough to get a precise and accurate measure.
2. Mindpet-med Digital Pet Scale: Best budget weighing scales for pets
These sleek weighing scales are smaller than the Redmon scales, but claim to be able to hold up to 220 pounds. They’re suitable for young and small pets, including kittens and puppies, as well as fully grown dogs and cats.
For their reasonable price, these scales offer high precision, with four precise sensors. They’re are designed with a 60cm-long tray that’s easy to take off to wipe and clean, with have a swivel lock on the tray to hold it in place. This also makes it easier to store away.
The LCD display features a helpful blue backlight, offering high contrast for a clear reading, even in the dark. You can get the readings in pounds, kilograms, or ounces, depending on your preference. They also have a tare feature, which allows you to subtract weight from the measurement to make room for additional weight, such as a collar or cone.
Another helpful feature is the hold function, which keeps the accurate reading on the display for pets that like to move around – especially important for curious pups and kittens. Just make sure to place the scales on an even, hard surface, such as lino or wood floor or a table, rather than carpet.
The design is undoubtedly sleek, but it probably isn’t the best for pets who really don’t like weigh-in day, which is something to be mindful of.
The Mindpet Med scales require two AAA alkaline batteries, and come with a one-year warranty.
3. Marsden V-23 Portable Pet Scale: Best portable weighing scales for pets
These small, lightweight scales weigh just 1.5kg. They’re portable and light, with a carrying handle that makes them perfect to carry around and travel with, and store away when not in use. They have a 25kg capacity, making them perfect for smaller pets, but not very helpful if you have a St Bernard on your hands.
With four AAA batteries, they will last for 40 hours of continuous use. They weigh in kilograms and pounds, and have a number of helpful features, including a hold feature, which will stabilize the reading on the display, and previous weight reading memory, so you can compare your pet’s weight to the last time you weighed them, in case you forgot to make a note of it.
Speaking of being forgetful – these scales also have an auto power-off function, to save on battery life.
In addition, the scales’ handy tare function allows you to put down waterproof sheeting and offset the weight of this if your dog gets particularly nervous.
As far as pet weighing scales go, the Marsden brand is a particularly trustworthy and established company compared to some other brands on the market, and this model of scales in particular has been tried and tested in veterinary practices. The brand has a strong partnership with the veterinary industry, and has a reputation for value and reliability.
4. Gram Pluto: Best weighing scales for big pets
If you’re dealing with a big dog, these scales might be the best option for you. They come with a lot of optional add-ons, but you can stick to the basic model and still benefit from a lot of helpful features.
These scales have a long platform (with a surface area of 900 x 500 mm) with an anti-slip rubber, and built-in handle and wheels for easy movement. They’re specifically designed to weigh animals. They’re built to last, too, with a sturdy, carbon steel structure and stainless-steel upper pan.
If you want to record your dog’s weight so you don’t forget it, the Gam Pluto scales allow you to connect to your PC or laptop, or print it out, via USB.
To make the weighing process easier, the scales comes with four auto-hold levels, an electronic filter, a check function with visual and sound indication, 20 digital tares memory so you can look back at the last 20 measurements, and programmable auto-off.
They’re certainly not a great idea if you’re pushed for space, as they’ll take up a bit of storage space. But with a maximum capacity of 300 kg, you’d have to be very ambitious to find an animal too big to weigh on this model. Your dog will no doubt have room to relax and stretch out while you weigh them on these scales.
5. Prettyia Multi-Function Digital Pet Scale: Best weighing scales for small pets
You could choose the best, most expensive weighting scales in the world, with the flashiest, most up to date technology, but if you can’t get your pet to stay on them for a second, they’re useless.
It’s rare to find a set of weighing scales that can contain an animal who won’t sit still. That’s where the Prettyia digital scales come in. They have a bowl design that will make life so much easier if you’re trying to measure a small animal that wants to run away, such as a hamster, gerbil, bird, guinea pig, rabbit, or even a small kitten or puppy.
You can even pop some food in the bowl, or your pet’s favorite treat, if they need a happy distraction while you set things up.
These scales come with a tray that’s easy to wipe clean – helpful if your pet is prone to nervous accidents – and a HD LCD display. They also have a four-point, high-precision sensor to get your pet’s weight down to the last gram – or ounce or pound, depending on your preference.
It will also shut down automatically when not in use, in case you were distracted by getting your pet back to its cage and forgot to turn it off. The scales come in either white, green, or black, so there’s slightly more aesthetic choice than with most scales.
6. Hukoer Large Digital Scales: Best high-end weighing scales for pets
These heavy-duty, stainless steel weighing scales mean business. Made from stainless steel, the Hukoer large digital scales are used across homes, veterinary practices and pet shops.
They’re a good choice for pet owner who are looking for sturdy, reliable scales, perhaps those who have multiple pets who differ in size, and who would take advantage of the scales’ many features, which include a tare function, data hold function and count function.
The scales have three measuring ranges: 60kg (with 0.02kg accuracy), 120kg (with 0.05kg accuracy) and 200kg with (0.1kg accuracy). You can read your pet’s weight from an LCD display with a backlight, that you can either mount of the wall or use free-standing, meaning you can place it where it’s most practical.
And you can personalize even further, because the scales can be operated by an AC power adapter, or with four AAA batteries.
The weighing platform is smooth, but it’s not non-stick, so for smaller animals, or animal who have trouble staying still, you might have more of a job on your hands. On the plus side, the surface is easy to wipe clean, making it extra hygienic.
The scales include a count function, hold function, tare function, and you can easily switch between kilograms, ounces, and pounds. The hold function can keep the weight on display, even if your pets are moving.
These scales use four senses to ensure accuracy, which certainly places them at the upper end of the market above competitors. Worth the investment if you’re likely to be using them often, and are looking for a very precise measurement.
How to choose the best weighing scales for pets
When it comes to weighing your pets, you want to make the process as quick and easy as possible for even the most relaxed and easy pet. After all, the scales are no match for their warm and comfortable spot on the sofa.
There are a number of factors to consider before choosing a set of weighing scales. They’re quite an investment, so it will be worth it to take your time and consider what you need.
It’s wise to not only consider the size and temperament of your pet when choosing which weighing scales to purchase, but it’s also worth considering how often you’ll be using the scale and for what purposes. This will help determine the sizes of the scales you’ll need – larger scales may come with more option and flexibility, but you’ll need to have somewhere you can store them.
Smaller and portable scales will be better suited to those who only need to weigh their pets every now and again, and want the option to store them away in-between weighs.
There are many options on the market, and different models vary hugely in price. It’s best to go for a trusted and established brand, preferably one that has links with veterinary practices, especially if you’re looking for precise measuring.
