Low (couch potato)
Moderate (daily walks)
High (active, runs)
Very High (working dog)
Kibble
Wet Food
Fresh (e.g., Farmer's Dog)
Cost per day: —
Cost per month: —
Understanding Dog Food Costs
Feeding your dog the right amount of nutritious food is crucial for their health and well-being. However, the cost of premium dog food can be a significant factor for many pet owners. This calculator helps you estimate the daily and monthly cost of feeding your dog based on their specific needs and the type and price of food you choose.
How the Calculation Works
The calculation is based on estimating your dog's daily caloric needs and then converting that to the amount of food required, and finally the cost.
1. Resting Energy Requirement (RER):
This is the energy a dog needs to perform basic life-sustaining functions at rest. The formula is:
RER (kcal/day) = 70 * (Weight in kg ^ 0.75)
2. Daily Energy Requirement (DER):
This accounts for the dog's activity level, age, and other factors. It's calculated by multiplying the RER by a multiplier based on these factors.
DER (kcal/day) = RER * Activity Level Multiplier
The Activity Level Multipliers used in this calculator are standard estimates:
Low: 1.2 (e.g., minimal exercise, elderly or recovering dogs)
Very High: 1.8 (e.g., working dogs, police dogs, sled dogs)
Note: Age is often implicitly factored into activity levels or specific breed recommendations. For simplicity, this calculator primarily uses the activity level. If your dog is very young or very old, you might adjust the activity level input accordingly.
3. Daily Food Amount (grams):
This step converts the caloric needs (DER) into a physical amount of food. This is the trickiest part as different foods have different caloric densities (kcal per gram or per kg).
For this calculator, we use an average caloric density. The exact values vary significantly by brand and formula:
Kibble: Approximately 350-400 kcal/100g (average ~3.75 kcal/g)
Wet Food: Approximately 100-150 kcal/100g (average ~1.25 kcal/g)
Fresh Food: Approximately 150-200 kcal/100g (average ~1.75 kcal/g) – *Note: Farmer's Dog and similar fresh brands often have a slightly higher moisture content than typical wet food but are denser than some very low-calorie kibbles.*
Food Amount (grams/day) = (DER * 1000) / (Average kcal per kg of food)
Simplified Approximation: The calculator uses these average kcal/kg values: Kibble (3750 kcal/kg), Wet (1250 kcal/kg), Fresh (1750 kcal/kg).
4. Daily Cost:
This is derived from the daily food amount and the cost per kilogram of the chosen food.
Daily Cost ($) = (Food Amount (grams/day) / 1000) * Cost of Food ($ per kg)
5. Monthly Cost:
This is simply the daily cost multiplied by the average number of days in a month.
Monthly Cost ($) = Daily Cost ($) * 30.44 (average days per month)
Use Cases
Budgeting: Understand the ongoing cost of feeding your dog, especially when considering premium or specialized diets.
Comparison: Compare the costs of different food types (kibble vs. wet vs. fresh) or brands.
Planning: If you're adopting a new dog or switching food, this calculator helps estimate expenses.
Making Informed Decisions: Evaluate if a particular food fits within your budget while meeting your dog's nutritional needs.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimate. Actual food requirements can vary based on individual metabolism, specific health conditions, breed predispositions, and the precise caloric content of the food. Always consult your veterinarian for personalized dietary recommendations for your dog.
function calculateFoodCost() {
var dogWeightKg = parseFloat(document.getElementById("dogWeightKg").value);
var dogAgeYears = parseFloat(document.getElementById("dogAgeYears").value);
var activityLevel = parseFloat(document.getElementById("activityLevel").value);
var foodType = document.getElementById("foodType").value;
var costPerKg = parseFloat(document.getElementById("costPerKg").value);
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
var dailyCostSpan = resultDiv.querySelector("span:nth-of-type(1)");
var monthlyCostSpan = resultDiv.querySelector("span:nth-of-type(2)");
if (isNaN(dogWeightKg) || dogWeightKg <= 0 ||
isNaN(dogAgeYears) || dogAgeYears < 0 ||
isNaN(costPerKg) || costPerKg < 0) {
dailyCostSpan.textContent = "Invalid input";
monthlyCostSpan.textContent = "Please check your values.";
return;
}
// 1. Calculate Resting Energy Requirement (RER)
var rer = 70 * Math.pow(dogWeightKg, 0.75);
// 2. Calculate Daily Energy Requirement (DER)
var der = rer * activityLevel;
// 3. Determine Average Kcal per Kg based on food type
var kcalPerKg;
if (foodType === "kibble") {
kcalPerKg = 3750; // Average kcal/kg for kibble
} else if (foodType === "wet") {
kcalPerKg = 1250; // Average kcal/kg for wet food
} else if (foodType === "fresh") {
kcalPerKg = 1750; // Average kcal/kg for fresh food (like Farmer's Dog)
} else {
// Default or error case – should not happen with select options
kcalPerKg = 3750;
}
// Ensure kcalPerKg is not zero to avoid division by zero
if (kcalPerKg === 0) {
dailyCostSpan.textContent = "Error";
monthlyCostSpan.textContent = "Invalid food calorie data.";
return;
}
// 4. Calculate Daily Food Amount in grams
// DER is in kcal/day, kcalPerKg is in kcal/kg
// (DER kcal/day) / (kcalPerKg kcal/kg) = amount in kg/day
// Multiply by 1000 to get grams/day
var foodAmountGramsPerDay = (der / kcalPerKg) * 1000;
// 5. Calculate Daily Cost
// costPerKg is $/kg
// (foodAmountGramsPerDay / 1000) gives amount in kg/day
var dailyCost = (foodAmountGramsPerDay / 1000) * costPerKg;
// 6. Calculate Monthly Cost
var monthlyCost = dailyCost * 30.44; // Average days in a month
dailyCostSpan.textContent = "$" + dailyCost.toFixed(2);
monthlyCostSpan.textContent = "$" + monthlyCost.toFixed(2);
}