Dog Food Calculator: How Much Should I Feed My Dog?
Enter your dog's age, weight, size, body shape and activity to get a personal feeding plan. It shows daily calories, grams and cups of dry food, cans of wet food, treats, water and how many meals to give each day, with a feeding schedule. The calculator uses the formula vets use, for puppies, adults, seniors and working dogs.
1 About your dog
Examples: small = Chihuahua, Pug, Dachshund · medium = Beagle, Border Collie · large = Labrador, German Shepherd · giant = Great Dane, Mastiff.
2 Body shape
Tip: at an ideal weight you can feel the ribs easily without pressing, see a waist from above, and the belly tucks up behind the ribs when seen from the side.
3 Activity
4 Food and meals
Can size and cup size
The calorie figure is on the pack, often as "metabolisable energy" in kcal per kg or per cup. Divide kcal per kg by 10 to get kcal per 100 g. A 13 oz can is about 370 g.
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🕒 Daily feeding schedule
To save a PDF, choose "Save as PDF" as the printer. It includes your dog's details and the full plan.
How much should I feed my dog?
It depends mostly on your dog's weight, age, activity and whether they are neutered. As a rough guide, a healthy, neutered adult dog with normal activity needs about 350 kcal a day at 5 kg, 1,050 kcal at 20 kg and 1,500 kcal at 32 kg. With a typical dry food of about 360 kcal per 100 g, a 20 kg dog eats around 260–290 g a day, or roughly 2.5–3 cups. Puppies and working dogs need much more, and couch-loving or overweight dogs need less.
How the dog food calculator works
- Resting energy requirement (RER): the calories your dog burns at rest. RER = 70 × (weight in kg)0.75. A 20 kg dog has an RER of about 660 kcal.
- Daily energy requirement: RER × a factor for life stage and lifestyle. Common factors are 1.6 for a neutered adult, 1.8 for an intact adult, 1.2–1.4 for an inactive dog, 1.4 for a typical senior, 3 for puppies under 4 months and 2 for older puppies.
- Working dogs: about 2 × RER for very active dogs, 3 × for moderate work and 4–8 × for heavy work such as sledding. We use 5 × for heavy work as a starting point.
- Pregnancy and nursing: normal adult needs for the first 6 weeks of pregnancy, about 3 × RER in the last 3 weeks, and 4–8 × RER while nursing, depending on the number of puppies.
- Weight goals: for weight loss, vets often use 1.0 × RER at the ideal weight. For a thin dog, normal adult needs at the ideal weight.
- Turning calories into food: 10% of calories are set aside for treats. The rest is split between wet and dry food using the calorie values from your packs.
How many times a day should I feed my dog?
| Age | Meals per day | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Under 8 weeks | Mother's milk, then weaning | Puppies start weaning at 3–4 weeks and are usually fully weaned by 7–8 weeks |
| 8–12 weeks | 4 meals | Puppy food in small, regular portions |
| 3–6 months | 3 meals | Toy breeds may need 4 small meals to keep blood sugar steady |
| 6 months to adulthood | 2–3 meals | Small breeds are adult at about 10 months; large and giant breeds keep growing until 15–24 months |
| Adult | 2 meals | About 8–12 hours apart. For deep-chested breeds, 2 or more smaller meals lower the risk of bloat. |
| Senior | 2 smaller meals | Small breeds are usually senior at about 10, medium at 8, large at 7 and giant at 6 |
How much wet food or dry food?
Calories vary widely between brands, so always check the pack. Typical values are:
- Dry food (kibble): about 320–420 kcal per 100 g. An 8 oz (250 ml) measuring cup holds about 90–120 g. Weighing food on kitchen scales is more accurate than using a cup.
- Wet food: about 80–130 kcal per 100 g, so a 370 g (13 oz) can has roughly 300–480 kcal.
- Mixed feeding: adding some wet food can make meals more appealing. Just reduce each one so the total calories stay the same.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my dog is overweight?
Run your hands along your dog's sides. You should be able to feel the ribs easily without pressing. From above there should be a visible waist behind the ribs, and from the side the belly should tuck up. If you can't feel the ribs, or there's no waist, your dog is probably overweight. Your vet can confirm this with a body condition score.
Should large-breed puppies eat differently?
Yes. Large and giant breed puppies should eat a food made for large-breed puppies, which controls calcium and calories. Growing too fast can strain developing joints, so keep them lean and follow your vet's advice on when to switch to adult food, often at 15–24 months.
What is bloat, and how can I lower the risk?
Bloat (gastric dilatation-volvulus, or GDV) is a life-threatening emergency, most common in large, deep-chested dogs such as Great Danes and German Shepherds. Feeding 2 or more smaller meals instead of one big meal, and avoiding hard exercise around mealtimes, may help lower the risk. If your dog has a swollen belly, retches without bringing anything up or seems restless and in pain, call a vet immediately.
How much water should my dog drink?
Most dogs drink roughly 50–70 ml of water per kg of body weight each day, more in hot weather or after exercise. Always keep fresh water available. If your dog suddenly drinks much more than usual, mention it to your vet.
Which human foods are dangerous for dogs?
Never give chocolate, grapes or raisins, onions, garlic, macadamia nuts, cooked bones, or anything containing xylitol (a sweetener found in some sugar-free gum, sweets and peanut butters). If your dog eats any of these, contact a vet straight away.
How many treats can I give my dog?
Keep treats to no more than 10% of daily calories. This calculator shows your dog's treat allowance in kcal. Small pieces of carrot, apple (without seeds) or green beans make good low-calorie treats.
This calculator gives an estimate for healthy dogs and is for general guidance only. It isn't veterinary advice. Every dog is different, so weigh your dog every 2–4 weeks and adjust portions by about 10% if they gain or lose weight unexpectedly. Please speak to your vet before changing the diet of a dog that is a puppy, pregnant, nursing, elderly, working or unwell, for example with kidney disease, diabetes or allergies.