Dog Food Portion Calculator
How many grams should your dog eat per day? Calculate it from weight, life stage and your food’s calories.
How the portion is calculated
Vets calculate a dog’s Resting Energy Requirement (RER) as 70 × (weight in kg)0.75, then multiply by a life-stage factor: growing puppies need 2-3× RER, a typical neutered adult about 1.6×, and dogs on a diet about 1.2×. Dividing by your food’s calorie density gives the daily grams.
Feeding guides on the bag are averages - your dog’s ideal portion depends on body condition. You should be able to feel (not see) the ribs and see a waist from above. Check which extras are safe in our dog food safety guide.
This tool gives general estimates only and is not veterinary advice. Always consult your vet about your individual pet. Full disclaimer.
What this calculates, and what it cannot
This works out a daily gram figure from three inputs: your dog’s weight, its life stage, and the calorie density printed on the food you actually own. It is arithmetic, done in your browser, and nothing you type leaves the page.
What it cannot do is look at your dog. A calculated figure is a starting point for a conversation, not a prescription, and it cannot account for activity level, neutering status, climate, health conditions, or the fact that most dogs are also being fed things nobody counted.
Why the calorie figure has to come from your own bag
Foods differ enormously in calorie density, and two products with identical feeding guidelines on the front can be materially different behind them. This is why the calculator asks you for the number rather than assuming one: an assumed density would quietly make every result wrong, and you would have no way of telling.
The figure is usually printed as kilocalories per kilogram or per cup. If your bag does not carry one, the manufacturer publishes it, and it is worth the two minutes it takes to find rather than guessing.
The part a calculator cannot replace
Weight alone is a poor description of an animal. Two dogs at the same weight can be in visibly different condition, and the assessment that matters is a hands on one performed by someone who knows what they are feeling for. Your vet does this routinely and will do it at any appointment if you ask.
We deliberately do not publish a body condition scoring guide here for you to apply yourself. Scoring an animal you love, using a chart, tends to produce the answer you were hoping for.
When to stop calculating and phone your vet
Weight that changes without you changing anything, a dog that goes off its food, sudden appetite increases, or difficulty maintaining condition on a sensible amount are all questions for a vet rather than for a calculator. So is any feeding question about a dog with a diagnosed condition or on medication.
We publish no therapeutic diets, no weight loss protocols and no amounts for animals that are unwell, because those are veterinary decisions and this is not a veterinary service.
What we earn from this
Nothing. No brand is named, no product is recommended, and no link here pays us. The calculator has no opinion about which bag you own, only about the number printed on it.
