Dog Food Calculator (Calories and Cups per Day)
Enter your dog’s weight, life stage and the food’s calories to find the daily portion.
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Dog Food Calculator (Calories and Cups per Day) by TheCalcTools
How the Dog Food Calculator (Calories and Cups per Day) works
Resting energy requirement (RER) is the energy a dog uses at rest: RER = 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75 kcal per day. The maintenance energy requirement (MER) multiplies RER by a life-stage factor from the AAHA guidelines.
Calorie content is printed on the food label as kcal per cup and kcal per kg. Treats should be no more than about 10% of daily calories.
These are starting points: individual needs vary by up to 50%. Weigh your dog every few weeks and adjust the portion to keep an ideal body condition score.
The formula
Worked example
Using the default values shown in the calculator:
| Dog's weight (kg) | 20 |
|---|---|
| Life stage and activity | Neutered adult (1.4 to 1.6 × RER) |
| Food calories per cup (kcal, on the label) | 380 |
| Food calories per kg (kcal/kg, on the label) | 3600 |
| Meals per day | 2 |
| Share of calories from treats | 10 % |
- RER = 70 × 20^0.75 = 662 kcal. As a neutered adult: × 1.5 = 993 kcal a day.
- After 10% for treats, that is 2.35 cups of a 380 kcal/cup food (248 g).
Result:
| Daily calories (MER) | 993 |
|---|---|
| Resting energy (RER) | 662 |
| Cups of food per day | 2.35 |
| Grams of food per day | 248 |
| Cups per meal | 1.18 |
| Treat allowance (kcal) | 99 |
Frequently asked questions
How much should a 20 kg dog eat?
A neutered adult needs about 70 × 20^0.75 × 1.5 ≈ 990 kcal a day, about 2.3 cups of a 380 kcal/cup food after a 10% treat allowance.
My dog is gaining weight on the bag's portion. Why?
Bag guides are often generous and do not account for neutering, low activity or treats. Reduce by 10% and re-weigh in two to four weeks.
Sources and further reading
- AAHA 2021 Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee: Nutrition toolkit
- Wikipedia: Dog food
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This calculator gives estimates for information only. Check important results independently before you rely on them. See our disclaimer.