How much to feed a dog starts with one number: the calories they burn in a day. The calculator below uses the same formula veterinary nutrition guidelines start from, and the same one the Pup AI app uses for its daily calorie target. Treat the result as a starting point. Your dog’s weight and body condition over the next few weeks tell you whether it is right.
Free calculator
Dog calorie and food calculator
- Treat budget (10%)
- up to 80 kcal
- Food per day
- Add kcal per cup to see cups
A starting estimate, not a prescription. Track your dog’s weight over the next few weeks and adjust with your veterinarian.
How the estimate works
Veterinary nutrition guidelines begin with resting energy requirement (RER), the energy a dog uses at rest: 70 × body weight in kg0.75. Daily needs, or maintenance energy requirement, are then estimated by multiplying RER by a life-stage factor. The 2021 AAHA guidelines list 1.4–1.6 for neutered adults, 1.6–1.8 for intact adults, 3 for puppies under 4 months, and 2 from 4 months until adulthood. This calculator assumes a neutered adult and uses the same factors as the Pup AI app:
| Dog | Multiply RER by |
|---|---|
| Adult, relaxed (mostly indoors, short walks) | 1.4 |
| Adult, moderate (daily walks and play) | 1.6 |
| Adult, active (long walks, runs, sports) | 1.8 |
| Adult, working or very active | 2 |
| Puppy under 4 months | 3 |
| Puppy 4–12 months | 2 |
Individual dogs vary, even at the same weight and activity level. AAHA notes that sedentary or indoor dogs may need fewer calories than the factors suggest, and that intake should be adjusted by monitoring body weight and body condition score.
Daily calories by weight
Estimated daily calories for neutered adult dogs at their current weight, rounded to the nearest 10 kcal:
| Weight | Relaxed | Moderate | Active |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 lb (5 kg) | 300 kcal | 350 kcal | 390 kcal |
| 20 lb (9 kg) | 510 kcal | 590 kcal | 660 kcal |
| 30 lb (14 kg) | 690 kcal | 790 kcal | 890 kcal |
| 50 lb (23 kg) | 1020 kcal | 1160 kcal | 1310 kcal |
| 70 lb (32 kg) | 1310 kcal | 1500 kcal | 1690 kcal |
| 90 lb (41 kg) | 1580 kcal | 1810 kcal | 2030 kcal |
How much to feed a puppy
Growing puppies need far more energy for their size: AAHA’s factors are three times RER under four months and twice RER from four months until adulthood. Use the puppy’s current weight and recalculate as they grow. Large and giant breed puppies are best fed with your veterinarian checking their growth and body condition along the way. Our puppy weight calculator estimates where your puppy is heading.
Turning calories into cups
Under AAFCO’s model regulations, dog food labels state calories per kilogram and per household unit such as a cup or can. Enter the per-cup number in the calculator to see a daily amount. It keeps 10% of the calories for treats and divides the rest by the label value. Use a measuring cup rather than a scoop of unknown size, and split the total across the day’s meals.
Treats count too
WSAVA recommends keeping treats under 10% of daily calories, so the complete, balanced diet still makes up the rest. Chews, table scraps, and training rewards add up quickly, especially for small dogs.
Calories for weight loss
For weight loss, AAHA bases the calculation on ideal weight with a factor of 1.0, which means the RER of the target weight rather than the current one. Choose “Lose weight” in the calculator and enter the target your veterinarian agreed on. Weight loss belongs under veterinary supervision, with regular weigh-ins to adjust the plan. If you are not sure whether your dog is overweight, start with the body condition check in our weight guide.
The calculator gives the same answer as the daily target in the Pup AI app, which also logs meals, food photos, and treats against that target. Read the label, write down what your dog actually eats for a week or two, and compare it with the trend on the scale. That record is what makes the next adjustment easy.