How much should I feed my dog?
Enter your dog's weight, life stage and the food you use for an honest grams-per-day estimate - and what that daily portion actually costs. It is a starting point, not a prescription: watch your dog's waistline and adjust.
- -per meal
- -kcal / day
- -cost / day
- -cost / month
An estimate for a healthy adult dog at a stable weight. Puppies, pregnant or unwell dogs need vet-guided amounts. Re-check every few weeks: if you can't easily feel the ribs, feed less; if they're sharp, feed more.
How the calculator works
Feeding guides on the back of the bag are deliberately generous - the maker sells more food that way. We use the same energy formula vets use, so the number is tied to your dog, not to a sales target.
First we work out how many calories your dog burns at rest (its "resting energy requirement"), then multiply by a factor for life stage and how active they are to get the real daily need. We divide that by how many calories are packed into the food to get grams per day. Wet food is mostly water, so you need far more of it by weight than dry - that is why the number jumps when you switch food type.
The single biggest lever is honesty about activity. A neutered dog that pancakes on the sofa all day needs a lot less than the same dog doing two hard walks. When in doubt, start lower and let the waistline decide - a lean dog lives longer.
For the calorie figure, use the "kcal/100g" printed on your pack for the sharpest answer. Not sure what to feed at all? browse foods rated by ingredients, or see how our score works.
Common questions
Is this the same as the feeding guide on the bag?
No - and that is the point. Pack guides are broad weight-band tables that tend to over-feed. This works from your dog's actual weight and activity using the vet energy formula, so it usually lands lower.
How do I know if I have got it right?
Body condition, not the scales. Run your hands over the ribs: you should feel them easily under a thin layer, like the back of your hand. A visible waist from above. Adjust by 10% every couple of weeks until that holds.
Why does wet food give such a bigger number?
Wet food is roughly 75-80% water, so it carries far fewer calories per gram. Your dog needs the same calories either way - it just takes a lot more grams of wet food to get there.
Can I use this for a puppy?
As a rough guide only. Growing puppies have fast-changing needs and should follow the food's puppy chart and your vet's advice - underfeeding a puppy is genuinely risky.
This is label analysis, not veterinary advice - if your dog has a health condition, talk to your vet before switching foods.