Dog food calculator
This dog food calculator shows how many grams or ounces of dry food, wet food or a mix your dog needs per day, based on weight, life stage and the calories printed on your food's label.
Example: Weight unit: Pounds (lb) · Dog's weight 45 · Life stage: Adult, neutered · Share of calories from wet food 0 % · Calories in wet food 100 kcal/100 g · Calories in dry food 360 kcal/100 g · Meals per day 2 → Energy needed: 1,076 kcal per day. Source: Merck Veterinary Manual – Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals (RER = 70 × kg^0.75; factors 1.6 neutered, 1.8 intact, puppies 3 and 2). Updated: .
How it is calculated
A neutered adult dog of 44 lb (20 kg) needs roughly 1,060 kilocalories a day – about 10 oz of dry food at 360 kcal per 100 g, or about 37 oz of wet food at 100 kcal. The calculator works this out for your own food and splits it into meals.
How it is calculated
First the resting energy requirement: 70 × body weight in kg to the power 0.75. The exponent follows Kleiber's law, under which basal metabolism grows with body mass to the three-quarter power. That value is multiplied by a life-stage factor: adult neutered 1.6, intact 1.8, puppy up to 4 months 3.0, from 4 months 2.0 (Merck Veterinary Manual). Finally the calorie need is divided by the energy content of the food.
What matters
- A range, not a point: individual dogs need up to 30% more or less. Watch weight and body shape and adjust.
- Energy content: dry and wet food differ a lot. Enter the kcal figure of your own food, not an average.
- Mixed feeding: set how much of the calories should come from wet food; the rest goes to dry food.
Related tools: dog age in human years, cat food calculator, the gestation calculator and the weight converter for pounds and kilograms.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I feed my dog per day?
A neutered adult dog of 44 lb (20 kg) needs about 1,060 kcal, roughly 10 oz of dry food (360 kcal/100 g). The value is a starting point and can differ by up to 30%.
How much wet and how much dry food when mixing?
Set the share of calories that comes from wet food, for example 50%. The calculator then gives both amounts and splits them across meals.
How often should a dog be fed?
Adult dogs are often fed twice a day, puppies three to four times. Enter your number and the calculator divides the daily amount.
Do puppies need more food?
Yes, up to four months the tool uses three times the resting requirement, after that twice. The package also gives amounts by age.
Does this replace the feeding guide on the package?
No, it complements it. The package refers to that specific product; with illness or excess weight the amount should be set with your vet.
Sources and legal basis
- Merck Veterinary Manual – Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals (RER = 70 × kg^0.75; factors 1.6 neutered, 1.8 intact, puppies 3 and 2)
- Wikipedia – Kleiber's law (Grundumsatz ∝ Körpermasse^0,75)
As of: · Editorial policy
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