Dog Food Portion Calculator

About this calculator

Daily food portions for a dog start from its resting energy requirement (RER), estimated as RER = 70 × (body weight in kg)^0.75, which is then multiplied by a life-stage and activity factor: growing puppies need roughly 2–3 times RER, a typical neutered adult needs about 1.6 times RER, and a highly active working or sporting dog can need 2 times RER or more, while senior or less active dogs need less. Dividing the resulting daily calorie target by the food's calorie density (kcal per gram, which varies significantly between brands and formulas) gives the grams to feed per day.

Dog owners and veterinarians use this calculation because the feeding guidelines printed on food bags are often generic ranges based on weight alone, ignoring life stage and activity level, which can lead to overfeeding and weight gain in a mostly sedentary adult or underfeeding a working or growing dog. Splitting the daily total across the number of meals fed per day then gives the actual amount to serve at each meal.

This calculator takes your dog's weight, life stage and the food's calorie density, and returns the daily ration and the amount to serve per meal.