BYTETOOLS

Dog Food Portion Calculator

Work out how much to feed a dog each day from resting energy requirement, a life-stage factor and the food's calorie density, in grams and cups.

Your dog

The food

662 kcal
Resting energy (RER)
1,059 kcal
Daily energy (MER)
291 g
Food per day
2.65
Cups per day

Daily portion

291 g a day

RER = 70 × weight^0.7570 × 20.0^0.75 = 662 kcal
MER = RER × 1.60662 × 1.60 = 1,059 kcal/day
Treat allowance (10%)106 kcal/day
Energy left for the complete food953 kcal/day
Food energy density3.27 kcal per gram
Grams per day291 g
Cups per day2.65
Per meal, across 2 meals146 g (1.32 cups)

Energy factors

Life stage or activityFactorDaily energy at this weight
Weight loss (fed for the target weight)×1.0662 kcal
Inactive or obese-prone adult×1.2794 kcal
Senior adult×1.4927 kcal
Neutered adult×1.61,059 kcal
Intact adult×1.81,192 kcal
Active adult / light work×2.01,324 kcal
Puppy, 4 months to adult size×2.01,324 kcal
Puppy, birth to 4 months×3.01,986 kcal
Heavy working dog×3.01,986 kcal

Worked check: a 10 kg dog has an RER of 70 × 10^0.75 = 394 kcal, and a neutered adult at ×1.6 needs about 630 kcal a day — the figures published in the standard veterinary energy tables. Heavy working dogs can need 2–5 × RER depending on workload and weather, which is why the factor is editable.

Estimates only, and not veterinary advice. These equations describe an average dog: real requirements vary by 20% or more between individuals of the same weight because of breed, coat, temperament, ambient temperature, neuter status and metabolism, so the calculated portion is a starting point to be adjusted against body condition score and weekly weigh-ins rather than a prescription. Puppies, pregnant and nursing bitches, working dogs, and any dog with kidney, liver, pancreatic, endocrine or gastrointestinal disease need a plan from a vet. Feed a complete and balanced food appropriate to the life stage, count treats and table scraps inside the allowance rather than on top of it, and always provide fresh water.

What is the Dog Food Portion Calculator?

A dog's resting energy requirement is 70 multiplied by its weight in kilograms to the power of 0.75. Daily maintenance energy is that figure multiplied by a life-stage factor — about 1.6 for a neutered adult and 1.8 for an intact one.

  • Resting and maintenance energy from the standard 70 × weight^0.75 equation
  • Nine life-stage and activity factors plus a custom multiplier
  • Energy entered as kcal per cup, per 100 g or per kg
  • Grams and cups per day and per meal, using your own grams-per-cup measurement
  • Treat allowance carved out of the daily budget rather than added on top
  • Target-weight mode for reducing diets, with a comparison table of every factor

How to use the Dog Food Portion Calculator

  1. 1

    Choose kilograms or pounds and enter your dog's current weight, plus a target weight if you are reducing.

  2. 2

    Pick the life stage and activity level, or choose Custom and type your own energy factor.

  3. 3

    Tick target-weight mode for a reducing diet so energy is calculated from the goal weight at a factor of 1.0.

  4. 4

    Enter the food's energy as kcal per cup, per 100 g or per kg, along with how much one cup of it weighs.

  5. 5

    Set the treat allowance and meals per day, then read the grams, cups and per-meal portions.

About the Dog Food Portion Calculator

The ByteTools Dog Food Portion Calculator works out how much of your specific food to put in the bowl. It starts from the standard resting energy requirement of 70 × weight^0.75, applies a life-stage and activity multiplier, subtracts a treat allowance, and then converts the remaining calories into grams and cups using the calorie density printed on your bag.

Because kibble varies enormously — a cup can weigh anywhere from about 80 g to 130 g, and energy density runs from roughly 300 to over 500 kcal per cup — the tool asks for the food's actual figures rather than assuming an average, and a target-weight mode calculates energy from a goal weight for dogs on a reducing diet.

Everything runs locally in your browser and nothing is uploaded. These are estimates only and not veterinary advice: real requirements vary by 20% or more between individuals of the same weight, so the portion is a starting point to adjust against body condition and weekly weigh-ins.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories does my dog need per day?

Start with the resting energy requirement of 70 × weight in kilograms to the power of 0.75, then multiply by a life-stage factor. A 10 kg dog has an RER of about 394 kcal, so a neutered adult at 1.6 × RER needs roughly 630 kcal a day.

How much should I feed my dog in grams?

Divide the daily calorie target by the food's energy density. If your dog needs 630 kcal and the food provides 3.6 kcal per gram, that is about 175 g a day. Always use the figure on your own bag, because energy density varies widely between foods.

How many grams are in a cup of dog food?

It depends entirely on the kibble — usually somewhere between 80 g and 130 g for dry food. That is why this calculator asks you to weigh one level cup rather than assuming a value, and why weighing food is more accurate than scooping it.

How do I feed a dog that needs to lose weight?

Turn on target-weight mode, which calculates the resting energy requirement from the goal weight and applies a factor of 1.0. Safe canine weight loss is roughly 1–2% of body weight per week, and a reducing diet should be supervised by a vet so the dog does not end up short of protein or micronutrients.

Should treats count toward the daily allowance?

Yes. The usual advice is that treats should make up no more than about 10% of daily calories, and they should come out of the food allowance rather than be added on top. This calculator subtracts the treat share before working out the portion.

How accurate are these feeding calculations?

They describe an average dog. Breed, coat, temperament, ambient temperature, neuter status and individual metabolism can move the real requirement by 20% or more, so treat the result as a starting point and adjust it against body condition score and regular weigh-ins.

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