Dog Food Calculator

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Dog Food & Calorie Calculator

Determine exactly how much to feed your dog based on their weight and activity level.

Pounds (lbs) Kilograms (kg)
Neutered Adult (Normal) Intact Adult (Normal) Inactive / Obese Prone Weight Loss Mode Puppy (Under 4 Months) Puppy (4-12 Months) Active / Working Dog

Feeding Recommendation

Your dog requires approximately 0 calories (kcal) per day.

This equals approximately 0 cups of food per day.

*Check your specific food bag for exact density. Recommendations are estimates.

How to Use the Dog Food Calculator

Proper nutrition is the foundation of a long, healthy life for your canine companion. Using our dog food calculator helps remove the guesswork from mealtime. While many owners rely solely on the back of the food bag, those guidelines are often generic and may lead to overfeeding or underfeeding based on your dog's specific metabolism.

The Science: RER and MER

This calculator utilizes the Resting Energy Requirement (RER) formula, which is the energy used by a mammal at rest for basic body functions. The formula used is: RER = 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75.

Once the RER is established, we apply a multiplier for the Maintenance Energy Requirement (MER), which accounts for life stages like puppyhood, activity levels, or whether the dog is spayed/neutered, as hormonal changes affect metabolic rates.

Calculation Example

Let's look at a realistic example for a typical household pet:

  • Dog: 50 lb Neutered Adult
  • Weight in kg: ~22.7 kg
  • RER Calculation: 70 × (22.7)^0.75 ≈ 728 calories
  • Activity Multiplier: 1.6 (Neutered Adult)
  • Total Daily Needs: 728 × 1.6 = 1,165 calories
  • Serving: If the food is 400 kcal/cup, the dog needs roughly 2.9 cups per day.

Important Considerations

While math provides a great starting point, every dog is an individual. You should monitor your dog's Body Condition Score (BCS). You should be able to feel your dog's ribs easily but not see them prominently, and they should have a visible waistline when viewed from above. If your dog is gaining unnecessary weight, reduce the portion by 10% and re-evaluate in two weeks.

Always consult with your veterinarian before starting a strict weight-loss diet for an obese dog, as rapid weight loss can be dangerous.

function calculateDogNutrition() { var weight = parseFloat(document.getElementById('dogWeight').value); var unit = document.getElementById('weightUnit').value; var multiplier = parseFloat(document.getElementById('activityLevel').value); var kcalPerCup = parseFloat(document.getElementById('foodCalories').value); var resultDiv = document.getElementById('dfcResult'); var calSpan = document.getElementById('calResult'); var cupSpan = document.getElementById('cupResult'); // Validation if (isNaN(weight) || weight <= 0) { alert("Please enter a valid weight for your dog."); return; } if (isNaN(kcalPerCup) || kcalPerCup <= 0) { alert("Please enter the calories (kcal) per cup found on your food packaging."); return; } // Convert weight to kg for the formula var kgWeight = (unit === 'lbs') ? (weight * 0.453592) : weight; // RER Formula: 70 * (weight_kg ^ 0.75) var rer = 70 * Math.pow(kgWeight, 0.75); // Total Daily Calories (MER) var totalCalories = Math.round(rer * multiplier); // Amount of food in cups var totalCups = (totalCalories / kcalPerCup).toFixed(2); // Display results calSpan.innerText = totalCalories.toLocaleString(); cupSpan.innerText = totalCups; resultDiv.style.display = 'block'; // Scroll to result smoothly resultDiv.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' }); }

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