Tom Collins requested “guidelines for recommended daily calorie intake for various pets, age groups, lifestyles, etc.” in response to my post a couple of weeks ago about the new AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) labeling requirement to include calorie counts on all pet foods. This isn’t as simple as you might think, but I can give you some pointers to get you started. First a caveat or two.
Even after accounting for a dog’s lifestyle, age, level of activity, etc. the amount of calories (or kilocalories as they are known in veterinary medicine) a pet needs cannot be calculated with precision. Metabolic rate variations can change this number by up to 20% in either direction. As a result, any figure you come up with should only be considered an estimate. Feed that many calories, keep an eye on the dog’s weight, overall health, and body condition, and adjust as necessary.
Include your dog’s veterinarian in this discussion, especially if they are aware of any health issues or special dietary requirements. It is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor to determine a pet’s nutritional needs, including how many calories they should consume. Calorie “calculators” or tables cannot account for the potential uniqueness of an animal’s situation.
The following are the typical procedures followed by veterinarians to ascertain a dog’s caloric requirements (also known as their maintenance energy requirements):
Here are the calculations for a neutered pet dog that weighs 45 pounds and is at an ideal weight.
Remember, this is just a ball park figure. The actual caloric requirements of this animal could range from 860 to 1,290 kcal per day.
Use tables like those created by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s (WSAVA) Global Nutrition Committee instead if all this math has made your eyes glaze over. Although they are available for both cats and dogs, they are only intended for “average” healthy adults with a healthy body composition.
The WSAVA dog table value, however, is approximately 805 kcal for our fictitious 45-pound dog, which doesn’t even fall within the range I mentioned above. See what I mean when I say that the figures provided by these references and formulas are only to be considered as “ball park” estimates?
Note: The math symbol indicates that the next number is an exponent of the one before it.
How Many Calories Does My Pet Need?
Each pet has individual nutritional needs. For instance, a young puppy or kitten needs more calories than an older pet does. To determine your pet’s ideal weight, it’s crucial to have them examined by a veterinarian. Every year, be sure to talk to your veterinarian about your pet’s ideal weight. Diagnostic tests may be suggested to rule out an underlying disease process if your veterinarian determines that your pet is obese, overweight, or underweight. A nutritional plan and weight monitoring may also be established.
Let’s look at some typical daily caloric requirements for dogs and cats, as well as fundamental guidelines to support your pet in maintaining a healthy weight.
Approximate Daily Caloric Needs for Average Indoor Pets
| Cats | |
| 10 lbs. | 180 to 200 calories |
| Dogs | |
| 10 lbs. | 200 to 275 calories |
| 20 lbs. | 325 to 400 calories |
| 50 lbs. | 700 to 900 calories |
| 70 lbs. | 900 to 1050 calories |
| 90 lbs. | 1100 to 1350 calories |
Daily Caloric Needs for Active Humans
| Male | 2500 Calories |
| Female | 2000 Calories |
CALORIE CHART Typical Total Daily Calories to Achieve Weight Loss in Adult Spayed or Neutered Dogs Lightly Active Indoor Spayed or Neutered Dog Maintenance Diet (kcals per day) Ideal or Target Weight (lbs) RER to Feed for Weight Loss (kcals per day) 80% RER (kcals per day) 70% RER (kcals per day) 5 138 111 97 166 6 152 121 106 182 7 165
Daily calorie requirements of inactive dogs
The daily caloric needs of a dog frequently change depending on how active your pet is (or isn’t). Understanding what a calorie is will help you better understand your pet’s nutritional needs. A serving of food contains one calorie, which is a measure of energy.
According to research, dogs need to consume 25 to 30 calories per pound of body weight each day. Consequently, determining your dog’s diet based on weight can be a great way to determine their calorie needs. But body weight is not the only factor to consider.
Other significant factors affecting your dog’s diet include age, activity level, and spaying or neutering. Exercise and the right diet can keep your pet healthy and content.
Dogs who are couch potatoes need about 30% fewer calories per day than active, younger pets.
The University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine developed the MER, or the “maintenance energy requirement,” to better understand dogs’ daily dietary needs. “Your dog’s MER shows how many calories she needs to consume to carry out her daily activities.” Your dog’s MER is influenced by its weight and exercise routine.
You can use our food brand chart to calculate how much food your dog needs now that you know her MER. You can see how many cups of food your dog needs daily to remain healthy and fit by looking at the chart, which displays the average calories per cup from several well-known food brands. You can also determine how much extra food you’ll need to pack if you’re going on a hike so that your dog can replenish the calories she burns safely.
Just keep in mind that this calorie counter is not intended to replace advice from your veterinarian. It ought to provide you with a general idea of what foods an adult dog should eat. Every breed, every dog, and even a single dog will require different things as they get older.
You hear the pounding of four furry paws as your Chocolate Lab sprints towards the dining room just as everyone settles down for dinner. She squeaks to a stop next to your chair and opens her mouth, drooling into the carpet as she longsly eyes the delectable meal on the table. You ponder questions like, “Is she still hungry? Am I not feeding her enough? How much food should I be feeding her” as she waits patiently for a bite to fall.
We developed a helpful calculator to remove all uncertainty when calculating your dog’s MER. It will tell you how many calories your dog should consume daily after you enter a few pieces of information about your pet. This calorie counter is one way for dog owners to educate themselves on their dog’s proper nutrition because we want all pet parents to #GoTogether with their pups in confidence.
FAQ
How many calories should my dog eat chart?
Dogs’ daily calorie needsBody weight in poundsPuppies up to 4 months Intact adult111573219412332641684330198.
How many calories does a 50lb dog need?
Medium-sized breeds (30 to 50 pounds) Dogs weighing 50 pounds will need to consume 980 calories daily.
How many calories does a 50kg dog need?
For instance, healthy young dogs who like to run, play, and work need 2x to 5x their RER each day. Therefore, a healthy 50k animal that is active may require 2632 to 6580 calories per day.
How many calories are in 1 cup of dry dog food?
A typical cup of dry dog food contains between 325 and 600 calories. Moreover, be mindful of all the treats you give your dog. A simple dog bone has about 35-40 calories.