Dog Food Calculator
How much should I feed my dog?
Feeding charts on bags are averages. This calculator uses your dog's weight and the calories in the exact food you feed, so the answer fits your dog. Treat the result as a starting point and adjust by body condition.
How the calculation works
We first work out resting energy (RER), the calories a dog burns at rest: 70 × body weight in kg raised to the power 0.75. Daily energy (MER) is RER multiplied by a factor for life stage and activity. Daily food is MER divided by the calories in the food.
Factors we use
| Neutered adult | × 1.6 |
|---|---|
| Intact adult | × 1.8 |
| Senior or low activity | × 1.2–1.4 |
| Active adult | × 2.0 |
| Working dog | × 3.0 (real range 2–5) |
| Weight loss (vet-guided) | × 1.0 |
| Puppy under 4 months | × 3.0 |
| Puppy 4–12 months | × 2.0 |
These follow ranges published by the National Research Council (2006) and the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee. Individual dogs vary by 20% or more either way, so adjust using body condition.
Daily calories for a neutered adult dog
| Weight | Resting energy (RER) | Daily energy (1.6 × RER) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 kg (11 lb) | 234 kcal | 374 kcal |
| 10 kg (22 lb) | 394 kcal | 630 kcal |
| 15 kg (33 lb) | 534 kcal | 854 kcal |
| 20 kg (44 lb) | 662 kcal | 1059 kcal |
| 25 kg (55 lb) | 783 kcal | 1252 kcal |
| 30 kg (66 lb) | 897 kcal | 1436 kcal |
| 40 kg (88 lb) | 1113 kcal | 1781 kcal |