Calculate your dog's calorie needs
kcal per day by weight, activity, age and neutering – and, with a target weight, for weight loss too.
Updated on
In short
A 10 kg neutered dog with normal activity needs about 630 kcal a day, an unneutered one about 710 kcal. If your dog needs to slim down to 9 kg, you calculate with the resting energy requirement at the target weight: about 365 kcal a day. The basis is the formula 70 × body weight to the power of 0.75, multiplied by a factor for life stage and activity.
Your dog's calorie needs in kcal
kcal per day by weight, activity and neutering. With a diet mode for weight loss.
Result
630 kcal
per day
Range 565–695 kcal · equivalent to approx. 175 g of dry food or 630 g of wet food
Get it worked out for your dogRecipes with grams per ingredient in the DoggoMeal app- Resting energy (RER)
- 394 kcal
- Factor
- 1.6
- Treat budget (max. 10%)
- approx. 63 kcal
How the figure is calculated
Resting energy requirement 70 × 10 kg^0.75 ≈ 394 kcal × factor 1.6 ≈ 630 kcal per day.
- A starting point – check the weight every 1–2 weeks and adjust the amount in small steps. Treats count too.
Dog calorie chart: kcal per day by weight
Adult dogs. “Weight loss” column: kcal per day if the weight in the first column is the target weight (1.0 × resting energy requirement).
| Weight | Weight loss (1.0) | Calm / senior (1.4) | Neutered (1.6) | Unneutered (1.8) | Active (2.0) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 kg | 140 | 195 | 225 | 250 | 280 |
| 5 kg | 235 | 330 | 375 | 420 | 470 |
| 7.5 kg | 315 | 445 | 510 | 570 | 635 |
| 10 kg | 395 | 550 | 630 | 710 | 785 |
| 15 kg | 535 | 745 | 855 | 960 | 1,065 |
| 20 kg | 660 | 925 | 1,060 | 1,190 | 1,325 |
| 25 kg | 785 | 1,095 | 1,250 | 1,410 | 1,565 |
| 30 kg | 895 | 1,255 | 1,435 | 1,615 | 1,795 |
| 40 kg | 1,115 | 1,560 | 1,780 | 2,005 | 2,225 |
| 50 kg | 1,315 | 1,845 | 2,105 | 2,370 | 2,630 |
Dog calorie needs: the formula
Veterinary nutrition guidelines (NRC, WSAVA) calculate in two steps. First the resting energy requirement: 70 × body weight in kg to the power of 0.75. For 10 kg that's about 394 kcal. Then a factor for life stage and activity is applied: 1.6 for neutered dogs with normal activity, 1.8 for unneutered dogs, 1.4 for calm dogs and seniors, 2.0 for active dogs and up to 3.0 for working and sporting dogs.
Because weight is raised to the power of 0.75, small dogs need considerably more energy per kilo than large ones: a 5 kg dog about 75 kcal per kilo, a 40 kg dog about 45 kcal per kilo. Fixed values per kilo therefore never fit all sizes.
Working with a target weight: diet mode in four steps
For weight loss, what counts is not the current weight but the target. Here's how to go about it:
- Set the target weight – ideally with your vet, based on your dog's body shape.
- Daily calories = resting energy requirement at the target weight (factor 1.0). For a 20 kg dog with a target of 17 kg that's about 585 kcal, for a 10 kg dog with a target of 9 kg about 365 kcal.
- Weigh the food instead of estimating it, and deduct treats from the daily calories (no more than about 10%).
- Weigh your dog every week: about 1 to 2 per cent of body weight per week is considered a healthy pace. If weight loss stalls for several weeks, adjust the plan.
If the normal food is cut back a lot, the diet can fall short on protein, vitamins and minerals. For marked overweight or pre-existing conditions, a weight-loss food with more nutrients per kcal makes sense – discuss the plan with your vet.
Calorie needs by life stage: puppy, adult, senior
Puppies need a lot of energy for growth: up to 4 months about three times the resting energy requirement, then about twice that until they are fully grown. A 5 kg puppy aged 3 months therefore needs about 700 kcal – almost twice as much as an adult 5 kg dog at 375 kcal.
Seniors from about 8 years often move less; the calculator then uses a factor of 1.4. But less energy doesn't mean fewer nutrients: good protein remains important.
Neutering and treats: the underestimated calories
In the calculator, neutered dogs need about 11% less energy than unneutered ones (factor 1.6 instead of 1.8) – at 10 kg that's 630 instead of 710 kcal. After neutering, it's worth checking the amount and keeping a closer eye on weight in the first few months.
Treats, chews and table scraps together should provide no more than about 10% of daily calories. At 630 kcal that's about 63 kcal. Chews in particular often contain more energy than you'd think – check the pack.
How we calculate
The calculator follows the method described in veterinary nutrition guidelines. First the resting energy requirement: RER = 70 × body weight (kg) to the power of 0.75. Then a factor for life stage and activity: daily requirement = RER × factor. Finally, the conversion via the energy density of the food: grams = kcal ÷ kcal per 100 g × 100.
For weight loss, the calculator uses the resting energy requirement at the target weight (factor 1.0). Without a target, it takes 90% of the current weight as the goal. The treat budget is 10% of daily calories.
We round kcal to the nearest 5 kcal and grams to the nearest 5 g. The range shows ±10%, because dogs vary a lot individually. The values are starting points for healthy dogs and don't replace veterinary advice in the case of illness, pregnancy or marked overweight or underweight.
Factors applied to the RER
| Adult, neutered, normal activity | 1.6 |
|---|---|
| Adult, unneutered, normal activity | 1.8 |
| Calm or senior (from about 8 years) | 1.4 |
| Active (2–3 hrs of exercise, dog sports) | 2.0 |
| Very active (working or sporting dog) | 3.0 |
| Puppy under 4 months | 3.0 |
| Puppy from 4 months until fully grown | 2.0 |
| Weight loss (RER at the target weight) | 1.0 |
Typical energy densities
- Dry food: 360 kcal/100 g (typically 330–400 kcal/100 g)
- Wet food: 100 kcal/100 g (typically 80–120 kcal/100 g)
- Home-cooked / fresh food: 130 kcal/100 g (typically 110–160 kcal/100 g)
- Bland diet chicken + rice (1 : 2): 140 kcal/100 g (typically approx. 130–150 kcal/100 g)
- Bland diet chicken + potato (1 : 2): 105 kcal/100 g (typically approx. 95–115 kcal/100 g)
Sources
- 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
Frequently asked questions
How many calories does a dog need a day?
That depends mainly on weight, but not in a straight line: a neutered dog with normal activity needs about 375 kcal at 5 kg, 630 kcal at 10 kg, 1,060 kcal at 20 kg and 1,435 kcal a day at 30 kg. Activity, neutering and age shift the value.
How many calories does a dog need to lose weight?
The calculation uses the resting energy requirement at the target weight: 70 × target weight to the power of 0.75. For a target weight of 9 kg that's about 365 kcal a day, for 17 kg about 585 kcal. If your dog is markedly overweight, it's best to agree the plan with your vet.
How quickly can a dog lose weight?
About 1 to 2 per cent of body weight per week is considered a healthy pace – for a 20 kg dog that's 200 to 400 g. Faster isn't better, because the dog can then lose muscle too.
Do neutered dogs need fewer calories?
Usually, yes. For neutered dogs with normal activity the calculator uses a factor of 1.6 instead of 1.8 – that's about 11% less. At 10 kg that comes to about 630 instead of 710 kcal a day.
Why does a small dog need more calories per kilo?
Energy requirement grows with metabolic body weight, i.e. body weight to the power of 0.75. As a result, a 5 kg dog needs about 75 kcal per kilo, a 40 kg dog only about 45 kcal per kilo. A fixed value per kilo therefore can't fit small and large dogs at the same time.
How many treats can my dog have a day?
Treats should provide no more than about 10% of daily calories. With a requirement of 630 kcal that's about 63 kcal. Anything beyond that comes off the main food.
From kcal to real meals
The DoggoMeal app turns the kcal figure into real meals: recipes with grams per ingredient, matched to your dog's weight, target weight and allergies.
- Dog profile
- Recipes with gram amounts
- Allergy warnings
- Cooking with video
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