Dog Food Calculator

by Mike Sagman
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This Dog Food Calculator can help you estimate the proper serving size for your pet. It’s based upon a scientific study1 published by a respected veterinary research institute.

The dog food calculator’s formula2 uses a dog’s metabolic weight and suggests an appropriate serving size.

To use the calculator you’ll need to know…

  • Your dog’s ideal weight (what you believe he should weigh)
  • Your dog’s approximate activity level
  • The calorie content of your dog’s food

A Dog Food Calculator
for Adults Only

The Dog Food Calculator was designed to be used for adult dogs only — not for puppies. And it should never be used for pregnant or lactating females.

Small to medium breeds may be considered adults after about six months of age.

But large and giant breeds shouldn’t be fed as adults until they reach somewhere around one to two years — depending upon the breed.3

When Is a Dog a Senior?

Older dogs have significantly lower energy needs than younger ones. So, it’s easy for them to put on extra weight.

In general, small to medium dogs are considered seniors at about seven years of age.  However, larger breeds reach senior status much sooner — some as early as five.4

Converting Calories to Serving Size

Once you’ve entered your dog’s ideal weight and activity level, you’ll know the number of calories per day.

However, to convert calories into something you can use, you’ll need to enter the number of calories in your dog’s food.

The number of calories in a given amount of dog food is known as its metabolizable energy (ME, for short). It’s usually reported somewhere on a dog food package like this…

  • Calories per cup (kcal/cup)
  • Calories per kilogram (kcal/kilogram)

By the way, the calculator assumes you’re feeding your dog just once a day.

If you prefer to feed your dog twice a day, be sure to divide your result in half so that both meals add up to the full daily calories suggested.

The Bottom Line

Since each dog has its own unique energy needs, it’s impossible to accurately predict the exact serving size that’s right for your pet.

So, start with the package’s feeding instructions — or the amount suggested by our calculator.

And be sure to weigh your dog every few weeks.

Then, simply adjust that suggested serving size up or down to reach and maintain your pet’s ideal weight.

Sure, it’s a little work. But in the end, it’s the only real life method you can scientifically rely on.

Footnotes

  1. Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition (1999), Canine Life Stages and Lifestyles, The Waltham Course on Dog and Cat Nutrition, p. 14 ↩
  2. ME (kcal/day) = 110 (body weight in kilograms)0.75 to maintain a typical adult dog ↩
  3. Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition (1999), Canine Life Stages and Lifestyles, The Waltham Course on Dog and Cat Nutrition, p. 4 ↩
  4. Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition (1999), Canine Life Stages and Lifestyles, The Waltham Course on Dog and Cat Nutrition, p. 16 ↩
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  • Sergeant

    Not always the case, all dogs are different. My 80 lb very active pitbull mix eats maybe a cup of kibble and less than a can of alpo a day before he’s full and isn’t hungry anymore. So 1 cup for a 25 lb dog with more than 3 times less the calorie needs isn’t very crazy, neither for the 60 lb dog.

  • Pattyvaughn

    The only thing I would add to HDMs reply is that Aussies have really thick coats so you need to take that into consideration when you are assessing her weight. You will need to feel her ribs and hip bones. You should be able to easily find them with your fingertips but they should not feel prominant.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    No one can tell you how much food your dog needs. Dogs energy needs vary dependent on size, breed, age, activity level, stress level, environment, whether or not the dog is spayed or neutered, etc. etc. You just have to monitor the dog’s body condition. If the dog looks too thin, feed more. If the dog looks too fat, feed less. If the dog looks good, keep doing what you’re doing.

  • Nay

    My Aussie is 13 mos. I feed her 1 cup of dry dog food in the morning and 1 cup in the evening with treats in between. I have been told this is not enough and that I should feed to twice as much. My previous Aussie lived to be 14 1/2 and I feed her the same for which the vet would tell me when she was young that she was overweight and had me take it down to 3/4 cup twice a day, so not wanting to have this dog get over weight I have tried not to over feed her. Exactly in cup measurement should i be feeding her?

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    No, one can would not be overfeedng.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    ME just stands for metabolizable energy.

  • Tamara

    So the calculator result is based on ME kcal’s? That would mean that if I gave her one can of food, she would be getting the total 844 kcal/kg, but only 304 kcal/can ME per can? So feeding her one can is not overfeeding?

    Since the food lists both kcal/kg and kcal/can ME, it got me confused on how much exactly I was to feed her based on the calculator. To be better understood the calculator should have the results in kcal/ME.

    Wow..sorry, but this is so confusing. :)

  • http://www.dfwpugs.com/ sandy

    It’s between 1 and 1/7 of a can to 1 and 1/8 of a can since 344 calories is 113% of one can. And the calculator is just a guide, it’s not presice for every dog. All my dogs would be fat according to the calculator.

  • Tamara

    I’m still confused. My puggle is overweight (40#). We have her on Wellness Turkey Stew which has 844 kcal/kg and 304 kcal/can ME per can. Which measurement do I use
    in the calculator? I’ve used both but I’m still confused on the amount of food I’m to feed her. The results say 344 calories a day or .46 kg/day. How much in cups or cans is that?

    I want to reduce her calorie intake and cause her to slowly lose weight, I figured that I might compute how much a 30# dog weighs and feed her that until she get nearer to that weight, then reduce it again to a 20# dog; getting her closer to her normal weight. I hate to eliminate so many calories in the beginning, from a 40# dog to a 20# dog, that she is shocked and “starving”. I’d rather cut her caloric intake slowly.

    We have tried many, many different diets for her over the years, had her metabolism checked, her thyroid, everything. She is sneaky and will steal food from the cats, other dogs and neighbor dogs (bones, treats, etc.) We have to watch her constantly. We are hoping that using the precise measurements of this calculator we can finally get her weight under control. She has acl issues so she is unable to exercise much. Hopefully getting the weight down will help with that too. Any advise would be helpful.

  • InkedMarie

    Thank you, Sandy!

  • sandy
  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com/ Mike Sagman

    Hi Debra,

    As I mention in The Bottom Line above, “Since each dog has its own unique energy needs, it’s impossible to
    accurately predict the exact serving size that’s right for your pet.”

    When the calculator results are as far off as yours, I have found the user has not correctly entered the kilograms versus pounds – especially the calories per cup/or kilogram field.

    Setting these variables correctly is absolutely critical achieving accurate estimates. There’s no room for a mistake here.

    Are you certain you have entered all figures properly? You may wish to go back and repeat your steps.

  • InkedMarie

    As long as its an all life stages food, thats all they need

  • InkedMarie

    Dogs don’t even need puppy food (except maybe large breeds; I don’t have one & don’t know their requirements).

  • InkedMarie

    Someone yesterday posted a link from MPC about the cost of raw per month….now I can’t find it. I don’t even know what thread it was on! Anyone have it?

  • DebraMN51

    He needs PUPPY food until he is 2 years old! Ask vet for amount …

  • DebraMN51

    It told me 1 cup per day for both my 25 lb 557 cal/day dog and my 60lb 1074 cal/day dog…crazy and WRONG (both are inactive seniors so no difference there) My 60lb girl would be a skeleton on 1 cup

  • Pattyvaughn

    Last summer the calculator was high for my dogs, but over the winter it was too low for two of my dogs. All dogs are different.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    If I fed my dogs based on this calculator they’d be emaciated. This calculator is meant as a guideline, all dogs are individuals.

  • emily

    This is inaccurate. If I fed my dog based on this calculator he’d be obese.

  • Pattyvaughn

    My 14 lbs very active JRT eats about 3/4 cups a day total, kibble , raw, and treats.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Grandma Lucy’s is another dehydrated food I’d recommend over Sojo’s in addition to monkey and Shawna’s recommendations. All the formulas in the Pureformance line are high protein as well as the the Pork and Bison varieties in the Artisan line. Another option instead of using the pre-made Sojo’s would be to buy their grain-free pre-mix and add fresh meat.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    It’s pretty pricey. The grain-free varieties are $58.95 for 3 lbs. and $91.95 for 6 lbs.

  • monkey

    I don’t know the prices difference but the new Dr Harveys Oracle grain free formulas may be something to try. Higher protein and low fat.

  • Shawna

    Although Sojos is good in that it is made from real food and minimally processed, it is way to LOW in protein at only 22 and 23%. This is not conducive to weight loss.

    There are a couple great research articles out identifying protein as the superior nutrient for canine weight loss. The Journal of Nutrition –

    “This study evaluated the benefits of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets as well as CLA addition on reducing body weight in dogs. Changing the macronutrient profile of a canine weight-loss diet from a high-carbohydrate level to one primarily based on protein can promote greater weight loss without further reductions in caloric intake. This weight loss is driven primarily from an increased loss of fat mass while maintaining lean muscle mass.” http://jn.nutrition.org/content/134/8/2087S.long

    I was able to take 15 pounds off an 29 pound OBESE Papillon using high protein kibbles topped with high protein canned and raw. I was not able to exercise her either as vet thought it could cause a heart attack at first and later when she was capable it was the middle of winter.

    The Honest Kitchen Love (31%) and Zeal (36%) are also minimally processed and although not technically high in protein are higher than Sojo. Adding canned sardines, eggs (whites are low fat if you want to watch fat) and canned foods can be added to increase the protein amounts of a moderate to higher protein food like THK Love and Zeal.

  • http://www.facebook.com/RaissiKitten Deanna Bassett

    Weight appearances are deceiving. Our Lab is small, and I would assume 30 pounds.. But weighing in at the vet, she is 60.. Totally not what I expected, and she has almost no fat on her whatsoever.

  • http://www.facebook.com/RaissiKitten Deanna Bassett

    Question. I have a 4 1/2 year old Mini Shih Tzu. He is NOT very active at all.. I admit, I had no idea for a long time about recommended food, and he is now 16 pounds. His Ideal weight should be around 7-9 pounds. I have over the last 2 months reduced his food down to 3/4 cup per day. Also have switched to natural, grain free, filler and by product free raw diet. (Sojos) He has not lost a single pound in all this time. Should I start worrying about taking him to the vet for testing? (Thank goodness I work at one!)

  • http://www.facebook.com/RaissiKitten Deanna Bassett

    Sorry.. I agree. When is it ever right to use an someone to make money for you? Especially when there are already SO MANY!!!!

  • Pattyvaughn

    You have a very unusual dog. I worked as a vet tech for many years and it was very rare to see a dog with clean teeth, most dogs are kibble fed, but the ones that had clean teeth were the ones that chewed bones or other such help to keep their teeth clean. Kibble definitely didn’t do it for a vast majority of the dogs we saw.

  • buttchops

    Not true. I adopted a dachshund from the pound and her eye teeth had a lot of tartar. She’s been eating only kibble and most of the tartar is gone now, after 4 months.

  • Shawna

    The dog pictured appears to be a good weight.
    When you say “all raw meat” do you mean you feed meat only? If so, the diet is very incomplete and could cause some really serious issues in time. Dogs need calcium to offset the phosphorus in meats, magnesium, vitamin E etc which are not provided in an all meat diet. If you simply meant he’s on an all raw diet then disregard :) ..

  • http://www.facebook.com/jack.tripper.3950 Jack Tripper

    ya i would estimate that dog weighs 150lbs

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    I was wondering the same thing, Jack. I had even pulled up some kg to lb conversion charts in the event that was the issue.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jack.tripper.3950 Jack Tripper

    lol 300lbs, r u sure about that? the biggest males weigh 200lbs and he looks to be average.

  • babypupeatme

    my dog eats all raw meat and he is 2 and weighs 300lbs and he is a great dane. I have been using exactly what and how much calories to give him.

  • Lisa

    (That label is for the puppy food, btw.) (I realize the dog food calculator is not meant for puppies.)

  • Lisa

    I agree with Storm’s Mom’s post from about 2 mos. ago. . Label’s can be confusing. Maybe you misread or input the wrong no. I feed BB Wilderness. On the label it says “Calorie Content (ME Calculated, as fed):3,629 Kcals/kg, 438 Kcals/cup.

  • Maja

    Ok guys, thank you very much!
    Crazy 4cats, yes, it is completly frustrating, and if my dog and i will have to go through the giardia staff again i think ill go after the vet! Everything clean and desinfected and dog still sick. i hope its the last time.
    Losul, my pup was not checked for heartworms, because he is 6 months, and heartworms need more time to grow and be dangerous if treated and expelled. Thats what vet told me and i checked online.
    My puppy has been on Acana 8 days and i think he is gettting fat!! Ribs can hardly be felt. Before he was on the skinny side. So over 4 cups is too much for him. And its strange, because now, besides daily walks we go for a bike rides/running, so he should burn more calories? or he is getting older and doesnt grow this fast and doesnt need this much calories anymore.
    So im staying with prescribed meds.

  • Crazy4cats

    Yes, I agree. Stick with the combined treatment. I was a little frustrated when we were going thru it because the vets at our clinic were in disagreement over which treatment was best. We used both so not sure which one was best. Just hope it’s gone for good. I personally think the metronidazole helped with the diarrhea and the panacur killed the parasites. I feel for you. Good luck!

  • losul

    Now that he’s already on the metronadizole, I would just continue the combined treatment as prescribed. If he has more problems in the future I would just use the panacur by itself in the treat, wait, treat, protocol..

    It’s believed that flagyl is only maybe 40% effective against giardia. Panacur is supposed to have much better efficacy and much safer too.

    Because Panacur’s label use is for deworming, (once a day for 3 days) you must make sure your dog does not have heartworms.

  • Maja

    Hi Crazy4cats, thank you for the info, it looks like healthypets ships to canada, im going to order panacur today!
    Did you find metronidazole was a help? I was considering to stop metranidazole and go only with panacur, and now im confused… should my lab still take metronidazole and panacur and then panacur only?

  • crazy4cats

    Hi-
    We also battled with giardia with our two pups. It was very frustrating to get rid of. I think they kept giving it back and forth. We went through three or four treaments before it was gone. But just to let you know, losul is absolutely correct. You can get panacur so much cheaper OTC. The vet charged about three times the amount that healthypets.com charges. In addition, I finally learned to get a prescription for the metronidazole as well. I took the prescriptions to either Fred Meyer (Kroger in some parts) or Costco. The savings were unbelievable. After the giardia was gone, the vet recommended using pre/probiotics, digestive enzymes, and DGL with plantain and marshmall root for at least 6 months to get their guts back in order. They are doing much better now. Still loose stools sometimes, but I think mostly from eating things they shouldnt. They are lab mixes and will eat anything they find 24/7. I’m always worried. I don’t want to go through that again.

  • Maja

    Im just trying to buy panacur in canada, my vet says metronidazole and panacur just once will be fine, no need to repeat the treatment after 2 weeks… In canada its not an otc drug and out vets are hmm stubborn.

  • losul

    5 to 7 days on, then 10 to 14 days off, then another round. Giardia cycles from active stage to cyst.

    I hesitate to say this for fear of folks self-medicating, but Panacur is available relatively cheaply OTC.

    But you must make sure that there is no active heartworm infestation. Also certain collie type breeds could have reactions to Panacur (genetic defect)

  • losul

    O.K. good

    You are doing the Panacur, it’s an off label use, but usually much more effective and safer than flagyl. Yes the treatment protocol for panacur is correct.

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