How much to feed a Havanese: daily portions for a small companion
An adult, neutered Havanese weighing 4.5 kg needs about 345 kcal a day with normal exercise – roughly 95 g of dry food or 345 g of wet food. A petite Havanese of 3.5 kg gets by on about 285 kcal (80 g), a sturdy one of 6 kg on around 430 kcal (120 g). With such small amounts every treat counts – and with the Havanese it is worth knowing about a liver problem typical of the breed.
Updated on
Adult weight
- Weight:
- approx. 3–6 kg
- Height:
- 23–27 cm
Weight according to the American Kennel Club (7–13 lb), height at the withers according to FCI standard no. 250 (tolerance 21–29 cm). The breed standards themselves do not specify a weight.
Activity type
Companion dog from the Bichon family (FCI Group 9) – small, with correspondingly small portions.
Breed watch points
Liver shunt, teeth, weight
Calculate how much to feed your Havanese
Enter the weight and choose the type of food – the result updates instantly.
Leave empty = typical value of 360 kcal (usually 330–400 kcal/100 g). If the pack says MJ/kg, calculate MJ/kg × 23.9.
Result
95 g
Dry food per day
≈ 345 kcal · 2 meals of 48 g
Get it worked out for your dogRecipes with grams per ingredient in the DoggoMeal app- Range per day
- 85–105 g
- Meals
- 2 per day
- Per meal
- 48 g
- Energy
- 345 kcal (310–380)
How the figure is calculated
Resting energy requirement 70 × 4.5 kg^0.75 ≈ 216 kcal × factor 1.6 ≈ 345 kcal per day.
345 kcal ÷ 360 kcal per 100 g (typical dry food) × 100 ≈ 95 g.
- A starting point – check the weight every 1–2 weeks and adjust the amount in small steps. Treats count too.
Havanese feeding chart by weight and activity
Adult, neutered dog. Dry food with 360 kcal, wet food with 100 kcal per 100 g.
| Activity | kcalper day | Dryg per day | Wetg per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 kg | |||
| Calm | 250 | 70 | 250 |
| Normal | 285 | 80 | 285 |
| Active | 360 | 100 | 360 |
| 4.5 kg | |||
| Calm | 305 | 85 | 305 |
| Normal | 345 | 95 | 345 |
| Active | 435 | 120 | 435 |
| 6 kg | |||
| Calm | 375 | 105 | 375 |
| Normal | 430 | 120 | 430 |
| Active | 535 | 150 | 535 |
How it is calculated: Calm = factor 1.4, Normal = 1.6 (neutered, 1–2 hours of walks), Active = 2.0. Entire (unneutered) dogs with normal exercise come out about 12 per cent higher (factor 1.8).
Example for 4.5 kg: resting energy requirement 70 × 4.5 kg^0.75 ≈ 216 kcal × factor 1.6 = 345 kcal a day, divided by 360 kcal per 100 g = 95 g of dry food. If your pack states a different value, enter it in the calculator above.
Liver shunt: reported particularly often in the Havanese
In an analysis of 2,400 cases from US veterinary hospitals (1980–2002), the Havanese had the highest proportion of dogs with a congenital portosystemic shunt of any breed: 3.2 per cent, compared with 0.18 per cent across all dogs. With a liver shunt like this, blood from the intestine bypasses the liver, which is supposed to detoxify it. The MSD Veterinary Manual also lists the Havanese among the small breeds in which such vascular malformations are more common.
Typical signs are episodes of staggering, head pressing or seizures, which according to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons often become more pronounced after eating, along with vomiting, diarrhoea or drinking a lot. Affected puppies often stay smaller than their littermates; the signs usually appear in the first year of life. A protein-adjusted liver diet is part of the treatment once a shunt has been diagnosed – it is prescribed by the vet and is not intended as prevention for healthy dogs.
Small dog: keep an eye on teeth and weight
Per kilo, a small dog needs considerably more energy than a large one: a 4.5 kg Havanese needs about 77 kcal per kilo, a 30 kg Labrador just under 48. The daily amount is still small – 95 g of dry food – so treats and chews quickly add up. The American Kennel Club points out that some Havanese tend to put on weight.
Periodontal disease is particularly common in small dogs. In a VetCompass study of 22,333 dogs, dogs under 10 kg had more than three times the odds of periodontal disease of dogs weighing 30 to 40 kg. Havanese were not analysed separately there, but at 3 to 6 kg they clearly fall into this weight class.
- Weigh the food and take treats out of the daily ration.
- Brush the teeth regularly and have them checked at every routine check-up.
- Weigh your dog every two to four weeks – at 4.5 kg, an extra half kilo is already more than 10 per cent.
Havanese puppies: small meals, watch closely
According to the MSD Veterinary Manual, small breeds like the Havanese are fully grown at 8 to 12 months. Very small puppies of toy breeds can develop low blood sugar between meals, especially when they play hard, get cold or are stressed; the American Kennel Club recommends small, frequent meals. Up to about three months that means four a day, after that three.
A puppy that stays noticeably smaller than its littermates, does not thrive or shows unusual signs after eating should be examined by a vet – partly because of a possible liver shunt.
The puppy feeding calculator works out the exact amount by age and current weight.
Recipes with grams per ingredient – for your Havanese
In the DoggoMeal app you create a profile for your Havanese – with weight, age, activity and allergies. From this, the app calculates recipes with grams per ingredient, daily calories and portions.
- Dog profile
- Recipes with gram amounts
- Allergy warnings
- Cooking with video
Free · no subscription · every feature included
Common questions about feeding your Havanese
How much food does a Havanese need a day?
A neutered Havanese weighing 4.5 kg with normal exercise needs about 345 kcal a day – roughly 95 g of dry food with 360 kcal per 100 g or 345 g of wet food. Lighter dogs need less, heavier ones more; the table shows the steps.
How heavy does a Havanese get?
The American Kennel Club gives about 3 to 6 kg (7 to 13 lb). The FCI standard only specifies the height at the withers: 23 to 27 cm, with a tolerance of 21 to 29 cm.
Do I need to feed my Havanese a low-protein diet because of liver shunts?
Only after a diagnosis. A protein-adjusted liver diet is part of the treatment once a liver shunt has been diagnosed, and it is prescribed by the vet. It is not intended as prevention for healthy dogs.
How do I recognise a liver shunt in a Havanese?
Typical signs are episodes of staggering, head pressing or seizures that become more pronounced after eating, along with vomiting, diarrhoea, drinking a lot and a puppy that stays smaller than its littermates. The signs usually appear in the first year of life. Have this checked by a vet.
How often should a Havanese eat?
Adult Havanese usually get two meals a day, puppies four up to about three months and three after that. Very small puppies should not skip a meal.
Sources
- FCI-Standard Nr. 250: Bichon Havanais (Havaneser) – Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI)
- Havanese – Breed Information – American Kennel Club (AKC)
- Association of breed with the diagnosis of congenital portosystemic shunts in dogs: 2,400 cases (1980–2002) (Tobias & Rohrbach, 2003) – Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Hepatic Portal Venous Hypoperfusion in Small Animals – MSD Veterinary Manual
- Portosystemic Shunts – American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS)
- Epidemiology of periodontal disease in dogs in the UK primary-care veterinary setting (O’Neill et al., 2021) – Journal of Small Animal Practice
- Feeding Practices in Small Animals – MSD Veterinary Manual
- Hypoglycemia in Dogs: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment – American Kennel Club (AKC), mit Dr. Jerry Klein, Chief Veterinarian
Calculation method
- Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats (2006) – National Research Council (NRC), National Academies Press
- Global Nutrition Guidelines – World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA)
- Nutritional Guidelines for Complete and Complementary Pet Food – FEDIAF – European Pet Food Industry Federation
Read on
Other breeds, the overview and the calculators for your dog.