Dog Food Portion Calculator

Calculate exactly how much to feed your dog daily. Enter breed, weight, life stage, and activity level to get a personalized caloric target and portion size based on veterinary RER/MER formulas.

FAQ

How much should I feed my dog each day?
It depends on weight, life stage, neuter status, and activity. The calculator applies veterinary RER and MER formulas to estimate a daily calorie target, then converts it to a portion based on your food's calorie density.
How do I turn calories into cups?
Divide the daily calorie target by the calories per cup printed on your food bag. The calculator does this automatically once you select your food.
Do puppies eat more than adult dogs?
Yes. Growing puppies need about three times their resting energy requirement and are usually fed three meals a day until around six months.
Does spaying or neutering change the amount?
It does. Altered dogs have a lower energy requirement, so the calculator uses a reduced multiplier to avoid overfeeding.
How often should I recheck the portion?
Reweigh monthly and adjust. Use body condition — you should feel the ribs easily without seeing them — as your real-world check.
How much food does a dog need based on their body weight?
Weight determines the baseline calorie need, but it is only part of the equation. Two 50-pound dogs can have daily requirements that differ by 40% or more depending on activity level, neuter status, and life stage. The calculator uses your dog's weight to compute their resting energy requirement, then scales it with the right multiplier for their specific situation.
How much dry food should I feed my dog per day?
It depends on your specific kibble's calorie density. Most dry food runs between 300 and 420 kcal per cup, which means a dog needing 900 kcal/day could need anywhere from 2 to 3 cups depending on the brand. Bag guidelines use a generic range to avoid underfeeding and often run 20 to 30% high. Select your food in the calculator to get a portion based on the actual kcal/cup figure.
How much wet food should I feed my dog each day?
Wet food portions are measured in grams rather than cups because density varies too much between products for cup measurements to be useful. Most wet dog food runs 80 to 120 kcal per 100 grams. The calculator supports wet-only feeding and a mixed wet/dry split. Select your feeding type in step three and it handles both portions.
Does this calculator work for cats?
Not yet. The tool is built for dogs. Cats have different metabolic formulas, higher protein requirements, and different energy multipliers by life stage, so the dog calculation applied to a cat would produce inaccurate results. A cat food portion calculator is on the roadmap.
What if my dog seems too hungry or is gaining weight on the recommended portion?
The result is a calibrated starting point, not a fixed prescription. Individual metabolism varies and some dogs run leaner or heavier than the formula predicts. If your dog is consistently gaining weight, reduce the portion by 10% and reassess in three to four weeks. Unexpected hunger or unintentional weight loss should go to your vet before you adjust the food.