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Dog food calculator: how much to feed your dog or cat

Animal
Age
Activity or situation

Food
Estimated daily ration —
Method

This is a starting point: two animals of the same weight can need very different amounts. Weigh your pet every two to four weeks, check its shape (ribs easy to feel, visible waist from above) and adjust the portion. Treats count too. Ask your veterinarian, especially for a puppy or kitten, a pregnant or nursing female, a sick pet or an overweight one.

How much should I feed my dog?

This dog food calculator, which also works as a cat food calculator, estimates how much your pet should eat each day. It starts from weight, age and lifestyle, works out the daily calories, then turns them into grams and ounces per day and per meal using the energy content of your food. It handles dry food, wet food and a mix of both, and can show the portion in cups. Your settings are kept for your next visit.

Feeding guides on the bag are often written for an intact, fairly active animal. A spayed dog or an indoor cat usually needs less than the top of that range.

How to use it

  1. Pick "Dog" or "Cat", then the age: "Puppy under 4 months", "Puppy from 4 months to adult", "Adult" or "Senior".
  2. For an adult, pick the "Activity or situation": "Spayed or neutered", "Intact", "Inactive or indoor", "Active", "Sporting or working", "Overweight: weight loss", "Pregnancy" or "Nursing".
  3. Enter the "Current weight" in lb or kg. The "Ideal weight (optional)" is used for weight loss.
  4. Pick the food and type its kcal per 100 g, then set "Meals per day".
  5. To measure with a cup, weigh one level cup of kibble once and enter the grams.

The formula behind it

Veterinarians start from the resting energy requirement: RER = 70 × weight^0.75, with weight in kilograms (pounds are converted for you, 1 lb = 0.4536 kg). RER is then multiplied by a factor for age and lifestyle. The portion follows from the food's energy density: grams = kcal ÷ kcal per 100 g × 100.

SituationDogCat
Spayed or neutered adult1.61.2
Intact adult1.81.4
Inactive or indoor1.41.0
Weight loss (on ideal weight)1.00.8
Growth under 4 months3.03.0

A 44 lb neutered adult dog: 44 lb = 19.96 kg, so RER = 70 × 19.96^0.75 = 661 kcal. Times 1.6, that is 1,058 kcal a day. With dry food at 370 kcal per 100 g, the dog needs 286 g (10.1 oz) a day, or 143 g (5 oz) per meal over two meals. If one level cup holds 100 g, that is 2.86 cups a day.

A spayed 4 kg (8.8 lb) cat: RER = 198 kcal, times 1.2 = 238 kcal a day, or 63 g of dry food at 380 kcal per 100 g. Fed wet only, at 90 kcal per 100 g, the same cat needs 264 g, which is two meals of 132 g.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find the calories in my pet food?

US labels show calorie content as kcal/kg and kcal per cup. Divide kcal/kg by 10 to get kcal per 100 g: 3,700 kcal/kg is 370. Dry food is usually 350 to 400 kcal per 100 g, wet food 80 to 120.

How much should I feed an overweight dog?

Choose "Overweight: weight loss" and enter the ideal weight. For a dog at 66 lb (about 30 kg) whose target is 55 lb (about 25 kg), the calculator gives 781 kcal a day, which is 223 g (7.9 oz) of dry food at 350 kcal per 100 g. Aim for slow loss and agree on the plan with your veterinarian.

Why are cups less accurate than a scale?

A cup holds a volume, not a weight: one cup of small dense kibble can weigh far more than one cup of large airy kibble. Weigh a level cup once, enter the grams, and the tool converts for you.

Is this the exact amount for my pet?

No, it is a starting point. Weigh your pet every two to four weeks, check that you can feel the ribs easily, and adjust. Treats should stay under about 10% of daily calories. For pregnancy, nursing or a sick pet, ask your veterinarian.