Dog/puppy feeding amount calculator

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

A while ago I made an excel sheet to calculate feeding amounts.  I made a web version to share so anyone can use it :)  It's especially useful for puppies since they grow so quickly it's hard to keep up with how much to feed them on a weekly basis.

Calculator link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NI8A94IIOdVwcm_Ifk2LKAR4_wU...

Just enter your dog's weight (either in pounds OR in kg, not both) and the kcal/cup of the food you are feeding. 

In the green area it tells you how much to feed your dog (use the info. from one column only).  I rounded it to the nearest 1/4 cup to simplify measuring but if you want a more accurate number it's below in the purple shaded area.

*NOTE* This assumes your dog has a normal activity level and is at a healthy weight.  Feeding amounts should always be adjusted depending on your dog's needs and body condition (under/overweight if applicable). If your dog gets treats in addition to kibble subtract 1/4 cup from the daily total. 

If your dog is outside of the "Medium" range (either very small or very large) then the "Alternate calculations" section (on the right) is likely to be more accurate.  

This calculator is made using the Resting Energy Requirements (RER) formula for caloric needs in dogs.  I confirmed with my vet this is the correct formula to be using to calculate feeding amounts.

More info on RER here:
https://vet.osu.edu/vmc/companion/our-services/nutrition-support-se...

Let me know if it's working properly!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Okay, maybe you could call the 45-60 range Med-Large. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm going to put this discussion in TFG's featured discussions, that should make it easier to find for future reference. 

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Thanks for the calculator!

Karen , I’m curious.  Yogi is 47#’s. Seems to be a healthy weight. He has steadily gained probably a pound a year. He is now 5, going on 6 years old. If I use the calculator of 25 per pound, that’s 1175.  He eats Fromm. Gets 683 calories total a day. 

He also takes his Zyrtec in sweet potato and glucosamine in plain Greek yogurt. These together add another 50 calories a day. That’s only 733 a day. Am I starving him?  Should I be more concerned with his physical size, which seems great?  Or giving him x amount of calories. I do think he would appreciate more food. 

I don’t want him to be undernourished.  Thoughts?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think any feeding guideline/calculator/formula is a tool that has to be adjusted to the individual; this applies to people too. Body compostion (i.e. muscle versus fat) has a lot to do with metabolic rates and calorie requirements, (RER) and none of these calculators take that into account; they can't. So with the help of our vets (and this is one area where I think most vets excell), we have to assess our individual dogs' body condition and adapt our feeding practices accordingly. If Yogi seems to be at a healthy weight, has good energy, and your vet has not commented that he is too thin, he's getting enough calories. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thank you for this. It is fun to play around with it.  The recommended amounts were quite a bit higher than what I actually feed them. This means they are not only couch potatoes, but couch slugs. :-}   Or I am starving them. (They told me that was the truth!!!)   We have to monitor Clancy and Charlie's food pretty carefully because both of them gain weight easily.  They normally get zero treats, zero extras.  Lately I have been trying Whimzees to see if it helps clean their teeth - they don't. 

Ned eats - 1 cup per day             recommended amount: 1 3/4

Charlie eats - 1 1/3 cup per day  recommended amount: 2 1/4

Clancy eats - 2 cups per day       recommended amount: 3 cups

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Makes sense, the "weight loss" amount is aboutb60% less than the standard.  Another column to add.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think it's high as well. As I mentioned above, I think you do have to adjust for individual dogs. The calculator also doesn't take age (beyond pup or adult) or exercise levels into account.